Forays and Gumshoes
by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: An innocent game of Capture the Flag in Raven Point leads the youths of Berk becoming ill with a deadly virus, and Hiccup and Astrid are the only two left who can find a cure. After Astrid gets the same sickness, Hiccup is left to do it alone, but things go bad quickly when he begins showing symptoms of the virus.
1. Chapter 1

"RUN!"

Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs and Gustav raced through the forest, ducking beneath tree branches, running for their very lives. Astrid looked behind them, and gasped.

"They're right on top of us!" she shouted.

Hiccup looked back, and paused. "Fishlegs, and Gustav," he said, "you two, cover Astrid. Astrid, you need to get to the top of that cliffside. I'll hold these guys back, and try to buy you some time."

"What!?" Astrid shouted. "No! We're not leaving you behind!"

"You don't have another choice," said Hiccup. "Fishlegs and Gustav, make sure they don't get her. I'll buy you as much time as I can, just go!"

They nodded and started running. Once they started, they didn't stop. They continued on, on, and on, until they came face to face with more of their enemies. Gustav instantly stepped forward, holding his weapon out in front of him, ready to use it against them.

"Fishlegs, get Astrid to the mountain," said Gustav bravely. "I'll take down these loonies." Astrid and Fishlegs nodded, running off in the opposite direction, never looking back, even once. First Hiccup, now Gustav. Who was next?

Suddenly, a Berkian girl and her partner ran up to Astrid and Fishlegs. Their names were Kari and Karen, sisters, and really good friends with Astrid and the other dragon riders.

"They got Gustav," said Kari. "We watched it happen."

"I think they got Hiccup, too," said Karen. "We didn't see it, but we can assume it." At that very moment, Hiccup ran up to them, panting, a bruise forming on his forehead, his hair sweaty.

"Nice to see all you guys again!" he said. "KEEP RUNNING!" he shouted suddenly, pushing the others in the direction of the cliffside. "They're right behind me!"

"Hiccup, they got Gustav!" said Astrid as she and the others ran side by side. Hiccup glanced behind him nervously, almost as if he expected someone to suddenly lunge from that direction.

"I can't go back, not now," he said. "They're mad at me. Besides, I'm not exactly the fastest runner in the world."

"I'll do it!" said Fishlegs, rushing back in the opposite direction of where they were originally heading. The others nodded to him, and then continued on. When they reached the base of the cliff, they were jumped by two of their enemies.

Hiccup, Kari and Karen stepped up, fighting them while Astrid stealthily made her way over to the face of the cliff. Then, she drew two daggers, and began climbing. She looked back when she was about half-way up, watching as Hiccup and her friends battled the other soldiers. Then, she shook her head to break herself from her thoughts, and continued the task of climbing the mountain.

"DON'T LOOK BACK, ASTRID!" Hiccup shouted. "WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T LOOK BACK!"

And so naturally, the first thing she did was look back. Kari and Karen were being held back by the same soldier while Hiccup took on the last one. Astrid looked at the ground, watching in sickening fear as the ground seemed to rise towards her, although it wasn't moving at all.

"ASTRID!" Hiccup shouted, breaking the girl from her thoughts. She looked back up at the rest of the area she needed to climb, and took a deep breath.

"I can do this," she whispered to herself. "I can do this." Mind made up, she continued to climb the cliffside. Once she finally got there, she was jumped by a soldier. She quickly dropped her daggers and drew her axe, meeting the man in battle.

She swung her axe at him, and he ducked, and then dodged, keeping perfect balance all the while. Astrid swiped at him a second time, results being the same. He parried with her, and then took up his sword once more, raising it over his head with a battle cry of fury.

Astrid saw her chance, and took it. Wincing, she bashed the flat of her axe against the man's head, not hard enough to hurt him, but hard enough to stun him, for certain. He stumbled back, his hands on his head while Astrid dropped her axe, racing forward towards her prize.

She wrapped her hand around the flagpole, and then hefted the blue flag above her head, holding it with victory as she stood at the edge of the cliff, looking below at the other soldiers still fighting.

"RED TEAM WINS!" Astrid shouted at the top of her lungs. Instantly, the fighting stopped, and the people below cheered, clapping in applause and whooping. Hiccup waved to her, and gave her a thumbs up while she tossed the flag over the cliffside for the others to see.

She turned around to look at the soldier she had bashed, just as he took off his helmet. Snotlout sulked, rubbing his head, still feeling the after effect from Astrid's blow.

"Aww, did I hurt you?" said Astrid jokingly.

Snotlout rolled his eyes. "Of course you didn't," he said, straightening up. "I was just fooling with you, is all. Um...that was a good game, but I would have won if you had gotten here five minutes later."

Astrid huffed. "Pfft," she said. "You didn't even know where the Red Flag was."

"Oh, oh yeah?" said Snotlout. "Well...well...I…"

Astrid smirked. "Good game, Snotlout," she said. "Now let's go meet the others down on the level ground. And a tip for next time, Snotlout." Snotlout turned in her direction, waiting for her to continue. "Never hide your flag in the same place twice," said Astrid. "That's how we always win. We always know where you hide the flag."

"Yeah, well, it doesn't matter," said Snotlout, "because the Blue Team is going to win in tomorrow night's game."

"I look forward to seeing that, Snotlout," said Astrid, rather sarcastically. Then, she and the other boy left to meet up with the other Berkians.

* * *

 **So what do you guys think about the story so far? It gets better, don't worry! :D I hope you all look forward to the next chapter as much as I am looking forward to writing it! See you next time! :D And yes, something bad will happen soon, don't you worry! Oh, wait, was that out loud? XD Okay, and I have a question: Did any of you think that Hiccup and the others were in the middle of an attack, or did you know they were playing a game the entire time? :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello guys! :D So, I'll try to update at least once a day...I have no idea how long this thing's gonna be. Maybe ten chapters or so? I don't know yet. :) Enjoy chapter 2! :D**

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"That was so much fun last night!" Kari shouted excitedly as she paced back and forth. Her Nightmare, Muzzlemouth, watched her with interest. "I especially loved the heroics, Hiccup. The whole 'I will save you! I will buy you time!' Priceless."

"Well, you know Hiccup," Astrid said, moving to stand beside their leader. "He does _love_ to be dramatic."

"Hey!" Hiccup shouted, but he was smiling. "You were the one who held the flag over your head triumphantly with that glorious battle cry at the end there!"

"You mean the, 'Red team wins' thing?" she asked. "I was just stating the truth there, y'know. Nothing special about hoisting a flag into the air and shouting your victory."

Snotlout huffed. "Big deal," he said. "Blue team will beat you guys at tonight's game, and we'll see who's laughing then!"

"Who's laughing _now_?" Hiccup asked honestly, although there was still a bit of sarcasm lacing his voice.

"No one!" said Snotlout. "Ha ha!"

"Except you," said Karen, "but you don't really count. You're just Snotlout. You're not exactly...right in the head."

"Stating the truth," said Kari. "Like a boss."

"Hey!" Snotlout said.

" _Now_ who's laughing?" Astrid smirked. Snotlout shut his mouth, keeping silent, although it was quite clear by his facial expressions that he wanted to do the exact opposite.

"I just have to ask," Hiccup said, stepping towards his cousin, "what you mean, 'blue team will beat you guys at tonight's game'?"

"That's right!" said Snotlout. "Do you have a problem with that buddy? Do you?"

"We only play capture the flag every so often," Hiccup said. "Normally, only once or sometimes twice a month. Doing it too frequently makes it...well...kind of odd. And not as fun, really."

"Yeah, well, I've decided to change that rule," said Snotlout. "With all of the Blue Team's...um…"

"Loses?" Astrid offered.

"I wasn't going to say loses, because we never lose," said Snotlout. Of course; Snotlout, too prideful to ever admit he wasn't number one. "Well, the Blue Team wants a chance to rub it in the Red Team's face. That's what tonight's game will be all about. Got that?"

"Under what authority do you have to change the rules?" Hiccup asked.

"Mine," said Snotlout.

"You instill me with confidence," Hiccup said.

"Exactly!" said Snotlout. "And we are going to beat you guys tonight. And when we do, it's going to be the greatest victory in the world! It'll make all your Red Team stuff look whimpy!"

"Boy, do I enjoy your company!" Hiccup said, spinning on his heel and stomping in the direction of Astrid. "What now?" he asked.

"Well, if we really _are_ going to play another game of capture the flag tonight," she said, "I suppose we should probably be...well...you know, getting ready for it. Making sure everyone knows what we're doing, when it's taking place, and everything like that."

"Sounds great," Hiccup said. "Okay, Snotlout, you can go tell your Blue Team members that we'll have the next capture the flag game at Raven Point as soon as the sun goes down."

"Midnight," said Snotlout. "Not when the sun goes down, it has to happen at midnight. Midnight makes it more creepy."

"No, not midnight," Hiccup said. "We're not having the capture the flag game at midnight."

"Well then, we won't have it at all!" said Snotlout.

"Okay, that's cool," Hiccup said. "It was you who wanted to do it in the first place."

"Oooooohhhhh," Kari and Karen whispered to each other. " _Busted_."

"Um...okay, when the sun goes down, but only because you insist," said Snotlout, bowing mockingly.

"Okay, so, next game, tonight. Location, Raven Point. Time...as soon as the sun's down," Hiccup said. "And make sure you remind Tuffnut and Ruffnut that explosives _are not_ allowed in these games."

"I make no promises," Snotlout said.

"Confidence, once again," Hiccup muttered under his breath. "This is why we have trust issues."

"Well?" Astrid said. "What are we waiting for?"

…

" _Another_ capture the flag game?" Gustav asked. "We just had one yesterday."

"Yes, true," Astrid said, "but a certain Snotlout thinks he can beat Red Team."

"And so we're going to prove him wrong?" Gustav asked.

"Precisely," said Astrid. "It should be a lot of fun. The Blue Team always hides their flag in the same place, so if we do the same thing we did last night, victory should come easy."

"Sounds simple enough," said Fishlegs after a moment of thinking it over. "When's the game?"

"Tonight, when it's dark," Hiccup said.

"Midnight would be cooler," Gustav muttered.  
"Oh _not you too_ ," Hiccup groaned.

"So, let's get the teams together," said Astrid. "This is going to be an interesting night."

When the Red Team and Blue Team were both gathered into two separate groups, each team was consistent of ten people to create a level playing field. Snotlout was team leader of the Blue Team, and Hiccup was team leader of the Red Team. They met at Raven Point at the assigned time with the teams all ready for the game.

"Blue Team has victory!" Snotlout shouted.

"Hardy har har," said Astrid. "We haven't even started the game yet, weirdo."

"I will take that as a compliment, and ignore you," said Snotlout. "When does the game start?"

"As soon as everyone quiets down long enough for me to drill a word through their heads," Hiccup said. Almost instantly, Snotlout shut his mouth. "Okay, so," Hiccup said, "you all know the rules. No explosives-" He eyed the twins from the Blue Team suspiciously. They smiled innocently, which actually made them look evil. "No intentional slicing or stabbing-" He looked at Snotlout. "And...well, no rule breaking."

"Can we go now!?" Snotlout shouted impatiently. "I think we get the rules!"

"Okay, game commences, hide your flag," Hiccup said. The Blue Team ran off without another word elsewise, and Hiccup turned back to his own team. "You guys ready?" he asked.

Astrid nodded eagerly, a smile glistening on her face. "Let's _do_ this thing."


	3. Chapter 3

**HELLO! :D So, do you guys like the story? I LOVE hearing what you think. :D I know, of course, reviews are not pressured, so never feel like you have to do it, but I just want to say that they always make my day. Even if I get ONE for the rest of the day I'm smiling normally like a fool and grinning like an idiot because someone likes what I write and I think it is awesome.**

 **AND EVEN IF YOU JUST READ THE STORY IT IS STILL AWESOME! :D :D :D :D :D YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING, EVEN THE ONES WHO DON'T REVIEW, FAV, OR FOLLOW! I know you're out there... *rubs hands together* No, just joking, but I know that not everyone reviews, favs, or follows, and sometimes they just read, and I want to say THANK YOU! :D**

 **Enjoy chapter 3! :D**

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The Red Team ran in the direction opposite of the one the Blue Team took. As usual, Marie (a girl of about Hiccup's own age) took to hiding the flag while one of the other members took to guarding it. That was one of the rules everyone knew; only one person was allowed to guard the flag.

Marie and the guard (a boy named Cody) ran to hide the flag while the others of the team took to focusing on getting the Blue Flag.

"Okay, Dragon Boy," Astrid said as she ran alongside Hiccup, "any plans you've got ready to throw at us?"

"A few, actually," Hiccup said. "Which one do you want to hear first?"

"The one _I_ want to hear is the sound of our victory!" Karen shouted happily. She glanced over at her sister. "Kari?" she asked when her sister didn't join in with her banter. Normally, Kari would be the one to _start_ it in the first place. "Is your headache back?"

"Headache?" Hiccup skidded to a stop, the other members of the Red Team doing the same beside him. He spun around to face Kari and Karn. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing really," said Kari hastily, although it was obvious she was lying. "Just got a bit of a headache earlier...a few days ago, actually, but it wasn't too bad." She pressed two of her fingers to her temple. "Yeah, I'm just gonna...sit down for a second. I'll catch up with you guys."

"Sure you don't want us to get a healer?" Astrid offered, stepping forward so she stood beside Hiccup. "We can cancel the game if you want, Kari. Do it some other time, when you're feeling up to it-"

"No, no, it's no big deal," said Kari, shaking her head, wincing as it only worsened her headache. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

"I'll stay with her," Karen offered. "You guys go on ahead. If Snotlout wins, we'll never hear the end of it, yeah?"

"You sure?" Hiccup asked.

"Positive," said Kari. "No use wasting a game on me. I'll be right as rain in a few minutes, just you wait and see. And then we'll kick ol' Snotface and his Red Team into next week."

"If you're sure," Hiccup said.

"No use arguing with her, Hiccup," Karen said, cutting him off before he finished his thought completely. "I've tried it, and it doesn't work. She's almost as stubborn as you." Hiccup frowned. "Go on ahead," Karen said, "and I'll make sure Kari's okay."

Hiccup nodded, although it was clear he was reluctant, as he turned, he and his team taking off into the forest again.

"That was a little weird," Fishlegs said.

"Not really," Astrid said. "I get headaches sometimes, too. Probably just something simple that'll pass easily...maybe she was running too fast."

"Yeah, but we just started the game," Hiccup said. "Maybe it's something else."

"Hey, Karen said she'll be fine," Gustav said. "And we all know Karen's overprotective of Kari. If anything else happens, Karen will make sure she's alright. But Kari also told us she wanted us to win the game for her team. Our team, really."

"Okay, right," Astrid said. "Your plan, Hiccup?"

"We run," he said. "Be careful, don't die."

"Oh, _great_ ," said Fishlegs. "Now we're all inspired."

"I'm just _joking_ ," Hiccup said. "Don't take everything so literally. The plan is, Gustav and Fishlegs get Astrid to the cliffside where they always have the flag, I'll cover for you guys, we do the same thing we did last night, we have the victory, Snotlout will probably call a rematch...that's it."

"Sounds brilliant," said Astrid. "No one's following us, though, so we really don't have to worry too much about you being the hero again."

"I wasn't trying to be the hero," Hiccup said. "It's capture the flag. How heroic can you be, seriously, milady?"

"I don't know, Dragon Boy," Astrid said. "You're the smart one."

"Guys, we're in the middle of a game," said Gustav. "You can discuss your differences and use each other's nicknames later."

"Right," Hiccup said. "Okay, so, to the cliffside we go, I suppose."

"Over the river and through the woods-" Gustav started singing.

"Thanks a lot, Gustav," Astrid said sarcastically, anger defining her voice. "Now I'm going to get stuck with that song in my head for the next month."

"Guys, talk later, remember?" Hiccup said.

"Good that," said Fishlegs. "The cliffside's coming up."

They stopped in front of it, but there were no guards. Astrid stepped backwards, trying to see what was at the top.

"Nothing's up there," she said. "They must have finally hidden their flag somewhere else."

"I feel cheated," Gustav muttered.

"They knew we would check here first," Hiccup said. "We need to split up. Look for the flag. Remember, they can only hide it in plain sight, so it shouldn't be too hard to find."

"Now _that_ sounds like a plan!" Fishlegs said.

"We'll split up into groups of two," Hiccup said. "Fishlegs and Gustav, you go one way, Astrid and I will go some different way."

"Splendid," Astrid said. "If you find the flag, shout 'NIGHT FURY'."

"To which we will reply, 'GET DOWN,'" Hiccup said. "Just so you know how far away we are."

"Great plan," Gustav said. "Let's put it into action."

They split into their groups, and ran in opposite directions. However, as they ran, HIccup and Astrid heard a frantic voice shout.

"HICCUP! ASTRID!" Karen shouted as she raced towards them. "You guys have to get over here!"

"Why!?" Hiccup asked. Karen was panting from her sprint, putting her hands on her knees. She was clearly panicking. "Hey, talk to me," Hiccup said, putting his hands on the girl's shoulders.

"It's...Kari!" Karen shouted, grabbing Hiccup's shoulders and staring him in the eyes. "She passed out!"

 **Little fun fact: Sometimes I play hide and go-seek with my family, and my brother and I have a system; when one of us see who's it, we shout "NIGHT FURY!" and the other one shouts "GET DOWN!" We don't know why we do it...it's just for fun. :) Just something interesting that is** _ **completely and entirely**_ **irrelevant when it comes to this story...**

 **Oh yeah. As usual, sorry for the cliffhanger. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Heeeeeellllloooooo! :D Update today, yay! :D Everyday, update, wheeeeeeeee! :D :D :D So, sorry in advance for the cliffhanger. Oh, wait, no I'm not. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Seriously, though. I love you guys. :D Hope you enjoy chapter 4! :D**

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They were running instantly.

"How did it happen!?" Hiccup asked as they ran.

"She just...kind of passed out!" Karen said. "I don't know, Hiccup! I'm freaking out, though!"

When they got to the spot where Kari had lost consciousness, they found that most of the team members were crowded around the unconscious girl.

Hiccup weaved his way through the crowd of panicking youths (some of them - like Karen - were hyperventilating while others tried to keep them calm), kneeling down next to Kari. He grabbed her wrist.

"She has a pulse," he said.

Behind them, Karen was having a full-blown panic attack while Astrid was frantically trying (and failing) to get her to calm down.

"I can't lose her!" Karen was shouting. "I can't! I won't let it happen! I won't! You hear me!?"

"Karen, you have to relax," Astrid said, grabbing Karen's shoulders. "Hey, look at me."

"I won't!" Karen shouted, jerking away from Astrid and running her hands through her short brown hair. Her breath was erratic. "I can't calm down! I can't! If I lose Kari-"

"You won't," Astrid said. "Hiccup knows what he's doing. You just need to sit down. I think you're going into shock."

Hiccup, meanwhile, was shouting at someone to go get a healer. Snotlout and Tuffnut ran off towards the village while the others waited anxiously.

"Karen...Karen," Astrid waved her hand in front of the girl's face. Karen snapped back into reality, staring at Astrid with panic in her eyes. "Kari will be fine, I promise," Astrid said. "Repeat it."

"K...Kari will b-be fine," Karen said shakily.

"There you go," Astrid said. "Deep breaths."

"She's safe as far as her life goes," Hiccup said, stepping towards Astrid and Karen. "Probably just a virus."

Astrid glanced at him. He looked paler than usual. "You alright there?" she asked.

Hiccup nodded. " _I'm_ fine," he said. "Just a bit...shaken up, yeah, but fine otherwise. Kari's really who we need to…" He looked at Karen. He didn't exactly want to say "worry about", because then Karen would panic again. "Look after," Hiccup decided at length. "Astrid, how's about you get Karen back to the village."

Astrid nodded. "Come on, Karen," she said gently. "Let's get you home."

"B-but Kari…" Karen blubbered.

"Is in good hands," Hiccup finished for the frenzied girl when her voice trailed off. All in all, Astrid was thankful for how calm Hiccup reacted when everyone else was freaking out. He knew when he needed to be calm, and she liked that about him.

"Okay…" Karen finally said weakly, nodding her head slightly. She let Astrid lead her back to the village, just as the healer arrived at the sight.

…

"How much longer will it take?" Astrid asked no one in particular as she paced back and forth in front of Karen. "The healers never take this long while just examining someone. We should have gotten news by now."

Karen was sitting on a stool, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The healer had told Astrid that as soon as they know what's wrong with Kari, they would let her know. Now, though, an hour had passed, and it was needless to say that they were beginning to get worried.

Astrid hadn't seen Hiccup since she left with Karen from Raven Point. Now, she wondered where he was, and what he was doing. She was also beginning to worry about Karen, how the girl just seemed to be...out of it. She didn't speak aside from the occasional "Have you heard anything yet?"

Astrid had too many things to worry and think about.

Another five minutes passed.

Ten minutes passed.

Fifteen minutes passed.

Half an hour.

An hour.

Astrid was certain that by the time the healer finally got there, there would be a large trench from her pacing back and forth. It was at that moment that the door knocked. Astrid's head jerked in that direction, and she surged forward, yanking the door open almost as soon as the knock was heard.

The healer stood, fiddling with the edge of her shirt nervously.

"Well?" Astrid asked. "What about Kari?"

"It's a virus," the healer said hastily. "Nothing to worry about. She should be fine soon."

Karen walked up behind Astrid. "She's my sister," she said. "Can I see her, or not?"

Astrid was amazed at how fast Karen snapped out of her funk while getting information concerning Kari. The healer nodded, and Karen ran out the door, the healer turning and following shortly after.

Astrid was alone again. She turned around, sitting on the stool Karen had just occupied. This had just been too much. She counted another five minutes off in her head before another knock was heard.

Only this time, the knock was more frantic.

Astrid shot up from her seat, pulling the door open. Hiccup barged in.

"STUPID!" he shouted.

"Whoa, what?" Astrid asked. "Hiccup?"

"This whole thing is crazy!" he shouted. "Stupid capture the flag game. I should have never agreed to-"

"Hiccup, what are you going on about now?" Astrid asked. "Kari's fine-"

"No she's not!" Hiccup argued.

"The healers said so," Astrid said. "How can you argue?"

"They don't tell you what they know, because they don't know anything," Hiccup said, grabbing Astrid's shoulders and shaking her. "They tell you what they _think_ , and they think _wrong_."

Astrid swatted his hands away. "I know she's fine," she said.

"You don't know!" Hiccup said, stepping backwards and pacing. "The healers don't know anything, Astrid. They're assuming, yes, for Karen's sake, but they don't know."

"And you're saying you do?" Astrid asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm saying, you have to listen to me," Hiccup said. "The virus. The healers told you it was just something like that, and that Kari will get better in a few days?"

"She said soon," Astrid said, "but nothing else."

"Don't blame the healer," Hiccup said. "She doesn't know that she's lying."

"What the heck, Hiccup!" Astrid shouted.

"Don't you get it!?" Hiccup shouted. "It's not just some random virus that will be fine in a couple days. You don't understand."

"Talk to me, and maybe I will," said Astrid.

"Let me talk, and maybe I'll tell you!" Hiccup snapped.

Astrid tapped her foot impatiently. "What's wrong with you?" she asked. "You're normally not like this-"

"Yeah, well, normally people don't just _pass out_ during a game of capture the flag, either, do they?" Hiccup shot back. "Normally people don't ride Night Furys. Normally people don't-"

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted. "Explain!"

"It's not a normal virus, Astrid," Hiccup said. "And Kari isn't going to get better."

 **CLIFFHANGER!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! Chapter 5 here...no one dies yet. :D I know, that's SUPER reassuring *sarcasm SO included***

 **BUT I HOPE YOU LIKE THE CHAPTER AND CAN FORGIVE ME FOR ANY FUTURE CLIFFHANGERS I BESTOW ON YOU ALL! :D Thank you for reading and everything. :D Enjoy chapter 5! :D Oh, and I have a poll on my profile for a few of my stories...vote if you want. :D**

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"What are you... _talking_ about!?" Astrid snapped.

"Let me explain, Astrid," Hiccup said. "You have to let me explain."

"Okay," Astrid said. "Shoot."

"Kari isn't the first one to get this thing," Hiccup said. "There have been four others besides herself, and they're all around her same age. Did it even occur to you that each of our teams were missing two people?"

Astrid thought back. That's _right_. They were supposed to have twelve people each team. Their previous games only had ten.

"You're right," Astrid said, "but what does this have to do with anything, Hiccup?"

" _Everything,"_ Hiccup responded. "Look, I asked the healers a few questions regarding their four...no, now it's _five_ patients...and they all had the same symptoms. They'll get a headache one day, and get better. Then, a few days later, it'll return, and then they'll pass out, get feverish…"

"Maybe it's just some contagious virus, or something," Astrid said. "Another Eel Pox outbreak, maybe?"

Hiccup was shaking his head before she even finished speaking. "No, Astrid," he said. "That's not what it is. Eel Poxs _start_ with a fever and end with delirium. This virus starts with headaches and ends with fevers and loss of consciousness. It's not Eel Pox. Actually...it's not _anything_."

"It has to be something," Astrid said.

"But that's just _it_ , Astrid," Hiccup said. "The healers have no idea what kind of virus this is, so they're telling everyone that it'll be okay in a few days, but I know it won't. I did some research, and there's nothing like this in any of the books at all. It's...a strange virus, Astrid. You saw what happened to Kari. And...actually, I found one virus in one of the books, and it nearly matches this one perfectly."

"Well?" Astrid said. "You told me Kari isn't going to get better. What does-"

"There's nothing of a cure," Hiccup said. "According to the books, anyone who has the virus has... _died_."

Astrid gasped. "D...died?" she stuttered. "What do you mean?"

"Isn't it painfully obvious, Astrid!?" Hiccup snapped. "No cure, anyone who has it dies…"

The realization smashed into Astrid like a speeding dragon. "Kari's going to…" she started, her voice trailing off.

Hiccup nodded. "And that's not the worst of it," he said.

"What could be worse than _that?"_ Astrid asked.

"It's contagious, Astrid," Hiccup said. "Extremely contagious."

Astrid thought for a moment. "And...we've all been around Kari," she said. "You grabbed her wrist to check her pulse, Kari touched Karen, I touched Karen, we…"

"We're probably infected, Astrid," Hiccup said. "If we can't find a cure, then we're all going to die. Berk is in danger as of now, Astrid."

"There...there has to be some kind of cure," Astrid said. "There can't be _no_ cure."

"That's what I'm going to do," Hiccup said. "I also reckon that the virus only hits people of around our age...like, between ten and twenty. That's how old most the victims of this freak virus are. I think the adults are immune, since Karen and Kari have both been around their parents, but they haven't gotten infected, or shown signs of it at all."

"So this virus is targeted around people of my and your age?" Astrid asked, although it was more of a statement than a question.

Hiccup nodded. "And unless we find a cure, Astrid," Hiccup said, "then everyone between ten and twenty are going to die."

"But we'll find a cure," Astrid said. Hiccup didn't respond. "...Right?" Astrid asked.

"Yes, we'll find a cure," Hiccup said determinedly. "Or we'll die trying."

Astrid really wished he hadn't added that last part. "Okay," she said. "What's our first step?"

"Research, Astrid," Hiccup said. "Find as many books on healing as you can. We need to learn everything about this illness if we're ever going to find a cure."

It took a few hours, but they finally found a decent amount of books on poisons, cures, and healings all together. They took everything they found to the Great Hall to research somewhere quiet, taking their dragons with them.

"Okay, what do we know?" Astrid said as she sat down across Hiccup, sprawling the books she had been carrying on the tables. Hiccup did the same in front of her.

"We know the virus is deadly," Hiccup said.

"Right," Astrid said. "Which means we're on a time limit. What else do we know?"

"We know it always starts with a headache," Hiccup said. "A few days...two or three usually...after the headache first comes, it comes back. Then, they get fevers, and pass out a moment later."

"Right," Astrid said. "So at least we have a warning, and know when people are going to pass out, and who's infected, and who's not."

"The headaches," Hiccup said. "Precisely. We also know that it's contagious, and that there is said to be no known cure." He flipped through one of the books. "I've got nothing. You?"

"Not yet," she replied. "I'm not as fast a reader as you are."

"We're not going for speed," Hiccup said. "We're going for accuracy. Faster is better, yes, but if you can't read fast without skimming words, don't try it. We need all the information we can get if we're going to find this cure."

"Right," Astrid said. Hiccup opened his notebook and jostled down the symptoms of the disease along with everything else they knew about it. When he was done, he tapped his charcoal against the table.

"Anything else we missed?" he asked.

Astrid shook her head. "I don't think so," she said. "We really don't know all that much about this virus."

Hiccup nodded. "So, let's get a start. We never know how long this'll take."

As it turned out, they couldn't find anything, and after two full hours of trying to get information, they decided to call it a night. It was already nearing midnight, way past curfew.

Hiccup slammed the book shut angrily. The noise echoed throughout the building as he banged his head against the table. "Nothing!" he shouted. "Nothing! There has to be something!"

"We don't have anything _yet_ , Hiccup," Astrid said, "but that doesn't mean we won't find anything. We can try tomorrow."

"No, not _try_ ," Hiccup said. "We'll _do it_ tomorrow, even if I have to stay up all night to accomplish it."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everybody! Sorry it took me so long to update. I've had a slight eye problem, so now I'm using reading glasses, but yeah, I'm BAAAAACCCCCKKKK! :D ENjoy chapter 6! :D**

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By the next morning, Hiccup and Astrid made sure that everyone knew about their findings, and what to expect. The rules were made; if someone suddenly came down with a headache, they were to go to the healers immediately.

So far, in just the one day, seven more people had been caught infected.

"Everything we've tried so far has lead to a dead-end," Hiccup said as he paced angrily in front of Astrid. "Any of the books that show a little bit about the poison never mention a cure."

Astrid didn't want to admit it, but she was starting to believe that there truly was no cure. Of course, she would never say that to Hiccup; even if she did, she knew he would shrug it off and say "There has to be a cure."

But what if there wasn't?

Astrid couldn't get Hiccup's earlier words out of her head; _"Berk is in danger as of now, Astrid."_ If they didn't find a cure, then yes, Hiccup was right. Even as they were looking for a cure Hiccup was right. He was right about a lot of things.

However, he was also _wrong_ about a lot of things. That was one of the things that scared Astrid the most. Sure, he was smart, but he was also stubborn. She knew that he wasn't going to give up on finding a cure, even if his mind was screaming that there wasn't one.

 _"Yes, we'll find a cure, or we'll die trying,"_ he had told her. She knew that he was mainly speaking for himself. _I'll_ find a cure or _I'll_ die trying. She knew that if she refused to believe that there was a cure, Hiccup would carry on without her. He wouldn't give up, no matter what happened.

"It's happening fast, Astrid," Hiccup said, breaking her from her thoughts. "So far, we already have twelve people who we know are infected. The rest of us are probably infected as well, we just haven't shown signs of it yet."

"What are you saying?" Astrid asked, although she already had a pretty good idea.

"I'm saying we're running out of time, Astrid," Hiccup said. "We need to hurry. Maybe we can get Snotlout to help us out, or someth…" His voice trailed off, as if he had suddenly remembered something he had earlier forgotten. "No, wait…" he said, " _right_ , Snotlout was one of the infected, meaning he can't _help us_." He slammed his hand down on the table and stepped backwards. "We need to hurry, Astrid."

"I know," Astrid said, flipping through one of the books frantically, "but I can't find anything in this book."

"If we can find the cause of the virus," Hiccup said, "then maybe we can find a cure, too." He moved over and looked over Astrid's shoulder. "Anything yet?" he asked.

"Not yet," Astrid said.

Hiccup groaned in frustration and went back to looking through his own book. "We need to find something," he said. "There has to be something on this freak disease. If there's not…" His voice trailed off, and he shook his head. "We just need to find it."

Astrid knew he was trying to deny the truth with everything in him. At this point, it didn't look like there was a cure at all. She wasn't going to tell Hiccup what she thought, though. Especially when he already seemed so discouraged.

"We have to…" He suddenly froze, his fingers hovering over a page. "Hold on," he said, looking more intently at the words sprawled on the paper. "Hang on just a minute."

"What?" Astrid said, rising from her seat and moving to sit next to him. "What did you find?"

"Something that might turn out to be important," Hiccup said. "Look at this." He showed her the page he was on, and Astrid read over it.

"It says that there's a dragon that causes this virus," she said. "And...the symptoms are just like the ones the infected have been showing."

"Exactly, Astrid," Hiccup said. "See? These dragons are scavengers. They go from island to island, but they're deadly poisonous. They touch something, and then anyone else who comes near that object is infected."

"And if it came to Berk at any time recently…" Astrid started. "And it went in the forest…" She paused, waiting for Hiccup to continue.

"And we've been spending so much time in the forest playing capture the flag and everything," Hiccup said.

"Then maybe that's where it came from!" Astrid said. "We're coming closer and closer to a cure, Hiccup!"

"You're right!" Hiccup said.

"But that doesn't explain why it's just people around our age being infected," Astrid said. "Why aren't the adults showing the same signs we are?"

"Well, think about it," Hiccup said. "If the dragon just touched something, maybe it can't infect the others. Or maybe it does, but their bodies are stronger and can fight it off...who knows."

"What's the dragon called?" Astrid asked, examining the page again.

"From the looks of it," Hiccup said, "Stormbringer."

"Stormbringer?" Astrid asked

"I really don't want to know," Hiccup responded. "But yes, they're deadly poisonous, and it doesn't show anything about a cure, but maybe…" He suddenly smiled, turning in Astrid's direction. "THAT'S IT!" he shouted so suddenly that Astrid almost fell backwards off her chair.

"What's it!?" she asked.

"Snake bites!" Hiccup said. "It's like a snake bite! They're poisonous, yes, but their venom is also the antidote."

"You're serious," Astrid said.

"Yes, of course I am!" Hiccup said. "This is it! All we have to do now is find out where these dragons live, and then we can find a cure."

"But we don't know if it will work," Astrid said.

"It has to work," Hiccup said. "It _has_ to."

Astrid believed him, so she nodded. "Well, what are we waiting for?" she said. "I'll go get the Book of Dragons. Maybe we can learn something from that...oh, and I can also grab Bork's notes. He did a lot of exploring. Maybe we'll learn something else from that."

"Sounds brilliant!" Hiccup said. "I'll see if I can't dig up some more information."

Astrid nodded, stood, and then headed out of the Great Hall. Half-way down the steps, though, she had to place her hand against the wall for support, her other hand rubbing her temple.

"Stupid headache…" she muttered.


	7. Chapter 7

**HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY EVERYBODY! :D :D :D So, I'm going to be doing a mother's day one shot either today or tomorrow, so I hope to be posting that soon, and...well, enjoy chapter 7! :D**

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"I got the Book of Dragons!" Astrid announced. "And Bork's notes, too." Hiccup was right where she had left him, flipping through the books to make sure he didn't miss anything important. Astrid tried her best to keep the headache out of her mind. It had passed nearly as soon as it had come, but she knew what it meant. However, she wasn't going to tell Hiccup. He would panic.

"Thanks, Astrid," Hiccup said. "I haven't found anything else, so let's see what we can learn from these things." While Astrid took to looking through the Book of Dragons, Hiccup searched Bork's notes.

"Stormbringer…" he muttered under his breath. "Stormbringer, Stormbringer, Stormbringer…"

"Stormbringer," Astrid announced. "Here it is." She pushed the book towards him, and he took it, examining the page she had left off on. "There's not much, but I think it's enough."

"They live on island where the weather's cold, aye?" Hiccup said, reading what Astrid had learned. Astrid nodded. "There are only a handful of islands like that," Hiccup said. "Give or take a few days, and we'll have that cure."

Astrid decided against reminding Hiccup that they weren't sure whether or not it would work. She also decided against telling him about her headache. She knew what it meant as well as anyone would.

It meant she was infected, and in two or three days, there was going to be no doubt whatsoever.

"So, what are we doing?" Astrid asked.

"I say we leave as soon as we're ready," Hiccup said. "One or two days, or something like that. That is, if you want to come. No one's going to force you."

"Pfft," Astrid laughed. "Are you kidding me? _Someone_ has to keep you out of trouble, Dragon Boy. Everyone knows that you can't take care of yourself."

Now it was Hiccup's turn to laugh. "Not even the Great Astrid Hofferson could keep _me_ out of trouble" he said. "I attract danger like a magnet. I'm the perfect match for the dynamite of trouble."

"And you are also surprisingly good at metaphors," Astrid said.

Hiccup shrugged. "So, we'll leave after we get ready?" he said. "Good. I take it you're coming with me, then?"

"I wouldn't miss it," Astrid said. She couldn't help but worry, though. They were leaving in one to two days, according to Hiccup. She didn't want him to do by himself, but if she went with him, she might endanger him. If she passed out after landing, Hiccup would have to protect her, and probably end up wasting precious time doing that when he could be finding the cure.

She brushed it off. Maybe she just got a normal headache? She got them every now and then. It wasn't anything to worry about.

Right?

"Sounds great," Hiccup said. "I'll tell my Dad we're leaving, and what we're leaving for...I'm sure it'll be okay with him. We have a lead on it, anyways. We know what we're looking for, and that's really the important thing."

Astrid nodded. "Suppose it is," she said. "What time should we leave?"

"Let's say...two days from now, just meet me at the cove, and we'll head out," Hiccup said. "Until then, we can focus on getting ready."

Astrid nodded, and followed Hiccup out of the Great Hall.

…

By the time she and Hiccup were ready to head out, Astrid was beginning to get the impression that it wasn't just a "normal headache."

In fact, she was beginning to worry that it _was_ the virus. She had been around Karen, and Kari had been around her...it would make sense, really, why she would be infected, but she refused to believe it.

She was going with Hiccup, one way or another.

Part of her wondered if Hiccup was experiencing the same things she was, with headaches. Maybe he wasn't telling her about them, either? Maybe, like her, he was trying to keep it a secret?

Or maybe it was the opposite, and Hiccup wasn't infected. In all honesty, Astrid hoped he wasn't. As Astrid finished packing her supplies and loading them in Stormfly's saddlebag, she stepped outside.

The bright sunshine made her headache worse, but she ignored it. She wasn't going to let Hiccup find out she had the virus. He would freak out.

"Come on, Stormfly," Astrid said, turning around to face her dragon. She jumped onto the Nadder's back, holding on for dear life. "Let's go."

Stormfly chirped happily, just before launching herself into the air. Astrid felt her head spin as the dragon soared, yet refused to let it show. She had to make Hiccup believe it was alright. If she couldn't do that, then Hiccup wasn't going to let her come with him.

The cove was in sight after five minutes when it felt like five hours to Astrid. Stormfly landed, and Astrid slid off her back, swaying slightly on unsteady feet.

"I was wondering when you would get here," Hiccup said. Astrid hadn't noticed he was there at first. Her brain wasn't functioning as it was supposed to. Her vision went blurry for a moment.

"Yeah, well, that's me," Astrid said, trying for a smile. "Always late."

"You're _never_ late," Hiccup corrected.

"Yeah, never late," Astrid said. What was she talking about? She didn't have a clue at this point.

Hiccup looked at her suspiciously. "Something you're not telling me?" he said.

Oh no, he knew. This was it. He was going to find out. "Nope!" Astrid said. "I'm just raring to go. Why aren't we in the sky yet?"

Hiccup wasn't buying it. "I've always told you that you're a terrible liar," he said.

"I am?" Astrid asked. Where was she? _Who_ was she? What was she doing? Her mind felt scrambled. "Oh, well, I guess I am."

"Spit it out, Astrid," Hiccup said.

Spit what out? What did he want her to say? Or did he mean _literally_ spit it out? She didn't know.

"Okay, Astrid...as your friend, I am asking you to sit down," Hiccup said. "You look like you're going to faint."

"Faint," Astrid said. "Me? Faint? I would..." A wave of dizziness washed over her, and she found her knees buckling without her permission. The last thing she heard was Hiccup's strangled voice.

"ASTRID!"

Then everything went dark.

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 ***cue most epic cliffhanger music* Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun...dundundundundundundun dundundundundundundundun...** **KKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRWWWWWWAAAAAAMMMMM! *explosions***


	8. Chapter 8

**HELLLLLLLLLOOOOOO EVERYONE! :D So, HOW DO YE DO? :D Here's chapter 8, although it kinda goes without saying...hopefully you all like this chapter! :D Have fun! :D**

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Astrid opened her eyes, instantly seeing the ceiling beams of her house. She was laying on what felt like her own bed. She didn't remember what happened at first, until the pounding in her head brought it back to her.

Right. She fainted. Right in front of Hiccup…

"Astrid?"

Speaking of Hiccup…

He was sitting at a stool placed next to her bed, staring at her. His green eyes were filled with concern. She offered him an unconvincing smile, and it was obvious when he didn't believe it was genuine.

"Were you seriously trying to go with me when you knew you were infected?" Hiccup asked. He didn't sound angry; more shocked than anything else.

"Well, I wasn't going to let you go alone," Astrid said.

Hiccup shook his head. "That doesn't matter, Astrid," he said. "You could have been killed! Could you imagine what would have happened if we had been _flying_ when you fainted? _Lots_ of things could have happened."

"How long was I out for?" Astrid asked.

"About a day," Hiccup said.

"A day…?" Astrid questioned, just to make sure she heard him right. Hiccup nodded. "You stayed here the whole time?" Hiccup noded again. " _Hiccup_ …"

"What did you expect me to do?" Hiccup said. "Leave when I didn't know whether or not you would be alright?"

"But you could get the virus if you stay here," Astrid said. "Have you gotten it already? Any symptoms?"

Hiccup shook his head. "Nope, not yet," he said. "And I've already been around lots of infected people. I know I have the disease, whether or not I have symptoms yet. They'll show up soon enough."

Astrid nodded. "So you're alright?" she said. "No headaches?"

"Not _yet_ ," Hiccup said. "I'm leaving in an hour to try and find that cure."

Astrid nodded, but she still couldn't help but worry. "If you get your first symptom when you're looking for the cure," she said, "just...promise me you'll come back instantly." She was able to cope with the fact that she could have passed out on Stormfly, simply because she knew that either Toothless or Stormfly would catch her. But if Hiccup passed out while he was on Toothless, Toothless wouldn't be able to save either one of them. It was even worse since Hiccup was going alone...if something happened, no one would know where they were.

"You can't go alone," Astrid decided after a pause. "You just...you _can't_. You're bound to get yourself killed."

"No one else can go with me, Astrid," Hiccup said. "Snotlout's bedridden, the twins just had their second symptoms today, Karen refuses to leave Kari's side, Marie got a headache yesterday, Fishlegs had his first symptom around the same time as Marie, Gustav got his first headache it around the same time Kari did...and you…" He shook his head dolefully. "Yeah, right. I can't go alone."

"You can't though, Hiccup," Astrid said.

"I won't be alone," Hiccup said. "I'll have Toothless."

Although Astrid couldn't deny the fact that Toothless wouldn't let anything so much as _touch_ Hiccup without a fight, not knowing where he was or how he was during his journey still concerned her.

"You need someone to go with you," Astrid said. "I can-"

"Don't you even think about it," Hiccup said. "You can't go with me. I have to go alone, just because no one else is available. I wouldn't mind someone going with me, so don't get that idea. I just...don't have a choice."

She couldn't argue with this fact, but that didn't mean her mind was changed.

"I should go now," Hiccup said right when she was about to argue with him again.

"Wait...you're going alone!?" Astrid shouted. "You _can't_!"

"See you when I get back!" Hiccup called, turning and walking towards her door, glancing over his shoulder as he spoke.

"HICCUP!" Astrid shouted. She made a move to follow him, but instantly, her vision swam, and she was forced back to her bed. So she really _couldn't_ go with him even if she somehow managed to get Hiccup to let her. "HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK THE THIRD!" she yelled angrily.

"Uh-huh, sorry, the full name doesn't make me comply to your wants," Hiccup said.

"Hiccup, wait!" Astrid said. Hiccup's hand froze from its position on the door handle. He turned around and faced her, and when he did, Astrid noticed a complete change in his facial expressions.

Ever since Kari and the virus were found out about, Hiccup had been the brave one. He'd been the one to take action when everyone else were trying to fight their rising panic. He had been the one to volunteer to risk his life to save someone else's.

He was sarcastic, a little on the crazy side, talkative, sociable, and normally very patient, but he was dead-serious when he needed to be. For instance, during the fight against the Red Death. He had been the one to lead the others to victory against the monstrous dragon.

He'd lost his leg that day, and yet he _still_ constantly risked his life.

But Astrid saw now in his face that he was terrified. Sure, he was good at hiding his fear, but sometimes, he let an expression slip. Now that she saw what he was truly feeling, she felt her breath escape her, and she, more than ever, wished that Hiccup had someone other than Toothless to accompany him.

"Don't die," she said after a one second pause that felt more like it lasted for an hour. "Die, and I'll kill you."

"Well then, I'll do my best," Hiccup said, smiling sadly. She smiled back (if just slightly). "I'll see you when I see you." With that, he was gone, leaving Astrid to worry for him and about him during the time he was gone.

Hiccup closed the door behind him, and then faced Toothless, who had been waiting patiently for his rider outside Astrid's door.

"Well, bud," Hiccup said, mounting the dragon. "Looks like it's just you and me."

Toothless growled.

"Let's go," Hiccup said.

With that, Toothless launched himself into the air.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello everyone who is more awesome then me! :D How goes it, guys? Does it go good? :D Sorry, I'm random. XD Hope you enjoy chapter 9! :D**

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When Astrid opened her eyes, it occurred to her that she had passed out. She put one of her hands against her forehead, finding it unbearably hot. Strange. The rest of her body felt as if she were being frozen to death.

She pulled the blanket tighter around her, trying to conserve her body heat. The headache was back, making her feel as though someone were constantly pushing a dagger into her skull, pulling it back before thrusting it back in. It went on continually, and no amount of anything Astrid did was making it better.

She tried to keep her mind off it. She tried to think of anything else besides her headache. It was nearing mating season again. Stormfly would probably have more of her little babies again, just like she did every year. Astrid was quite fond of the hatchlings, in all honesty.

She remembered the first time the dragons left for mating season...everyone was in a full-blown state of panic. And then Hiccup…

Astrid shook her head, despite the fact that it worsened the already unbearable pain in her head. No, she couldn't think about Hiccup. She couldn't think about the fact that she didn't know where he was, how he was, whether or not he was even _alive_ …

She mentally scolded herself. He was probably _fine_.

 _Yeah,_ a sarcastic, dark part of her mind said. _Yeah, sure, like the time he was struck by lightning, kidnapped by the Outcasts, nearly killed by the Berserkers, trapped in that wildfire with the twins…_

Astrid really wished that part of her thought process didn't even exist. She continued trying to think of something else. The day they started the Academy...no, she couldn't think about that. That was Hiccup, and thinking about Hiccup just made her worry more.

So, she thought about when Dagur the Deranged came to renew the peace treaty between Berserk and Berk. Half-way through the thought, she had to try and forget about it again. Hiccup was a _huge_ part of that whole affair. In fact, he was the only reason the Berserkers didn't start the war against the Berkians.

Him and his stupid ideas…

Astrid tried to get her mind off it once again, this time by thinking about all the flights she ever did with Stormfly. She thought about different maneuvers she could try out, new tricks she could teach her dragon, new plots, new tactics…

Then she thought back to the day she flew, for the very first time, on dragonback. Instead of shunning the memory, Astrid let it keep going. She remembered the moment with sudden clarity; the first words she said once she finally got her fear under control.

" _Well, I gotta admit...this is pretty cool. It's..._ amazing."

Everything she thought about lead back to Hiccup, one way or another. She really _couldn't_ get it out of her mind, despite her efforts. She was worried about him. She didn't know what the Stormbringer was capable of other than poisoning those who came in contact with it.

She honestly didn't think Hiccup could train the dragon, and if he couldn't, then there was no one that could.

She didn't know what he was up to. For all she knew, he could have hidden his own symptoms from her, as she had tried to hide them from him. He could be unconscious on an island, dead in the ocean, captured by Outcasts…

She shook her head once more, wincing when her headache pounded even harder (if that were possible). She was sweating from the fever caused by the poison, yet shivering underneath the blankets.

She stayed awake for a few more moments before passing out again.

...

If there was one thing Hiccup was thankful for, then it was the lack of wind. He had sketched out a map with all the islands in which the Stormbringers could live on, and wind would make it harder to read. Plus, with high winds, he really had to focus on keeping Toothless in the air.

No wind was good for him at that point.

"Okay, so...our first target should be...Dragon Island," Hiccup said. "Of course that's our first target...maybe it's not necessarily cold, but the dragons are scavengers, after all, and what better place to scavenge then on Dragon Island...right?"

Toothless snorted.

"Yeah, I know you don't like stuff like this," Hiccup said, "but we have to do it. We need that cure. Without it, well…" As soon as he thought it, he wanted (so _desperately_ wanted) to forget it. "Well, let's just not think about the without it for now, alright?" he decided.

Toothless nodded in agreement, soaring towards the island in which Hiccup had suggested. He landed, and Hiccup dismounted, scanning the island with his eyes.

"Okay, so, let's take a little look around-" Hiccup's voice trailed off, and he gripped his head. Toothless looked at him with concern, nudging his rider as he swayed on his feet.

"Yeah...I'm okay, buddy…" Hiccup managed to choke out, although he knew what was happening was anything _but_ okay. "Just...just a headache."

 _Just a headache!?_ his mind seemed to mock him. _Now you're gonna die, Hiccup!_

He knew now that his time was limited. He had at least two days now to get that medicine back to Berk. If he didn't, then he would pass out, and leave the people on Berk to die without any hopes of the cure.

He shook himself out of his thoughts, worsening his headache for a moment before the headache vanished altogether. He was thankful for the relief, but he knew that it wasn't going to last for long.

Sooner or later, he was going to lose consciousness, and when he did, the people on Berk were going to suffer for it. Everyone, young and old. The younger, because they were going to _die_ , and the older, who were either relatives or close friends with the younger.

Hiccup knew what he needed to do. He needed to get the cure, and then get it back to Berk, before it was too late for everyone.

So, he mounted Toothless once again, and the dragon soared over Dragon Island.

They were running out of time.


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm bbbbbbbaaaaccccccckkkkkk! :D :D :D Sorry I didn't update in two days. Life's been...cwaaaazzzeeeee. (Misspelled on purpose, obviously! XD). So, hello again! Here's chapter 10! Chapter 11 is really when it gets...**

 **Oh, nevermind! I won't tell you! :D *rubs hands together* Enjoy chapter 10! :D**

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Hiccup was about to tell Toothless that they were going to leave Dragon Island to check out a different island when something caught his eye. It wasn't much movement, but it was enough to make him pause.

"Down, Toothless," he said. "I'm going to find out what that was."

Toothless growled, obviously hating the idea, yet complied when he heard the urgency in Hiccup's tone. He landed in front of the mountain, and Hiccup dismounted, exercising caution as he walked forward slowly.

Toothless growled, and Hiccup spun around to face the jet-black dragon. Toothless grunted worriedly, spinning in a circle, obviously not wanting Hiccup to walk forward. Hiccup approached his dragon, patting him gently. He had come to the conclusion that the dragons weren't able to be infected by the Stormbringer, simply because none of the Berkian dragons were showing signs of it.

Who knew? Maybe the Stormbringer had to do something different in order to infect a dragon.

"Hey, I know you're nervous, Toothless," Hiccup said. "I am too, but we have to get the venom if we're going to save the sick Berkians." _Myself, too_ , Hiccup added silently. He opened Toothless' saddlebag, pulling out a bowl in which he would use to get the venom.

"Well, are you ready, Toothless?" Hiccup asked. Toothless, albeit hesitant, complied, growling in agreement while following Hiccup forward.

The crack inside the mountainside was just barely something Toothless could squeeze into. Toothless lit up the area with a single plasma blast, and then turned for Hiccup in a silent "the coast is clear" gesture.

Hiccup stepped inside, standing next to his dragon. Toothless' teeth were unsheathed, and he was snarling. The light of the plasma blast lit up the entire cave-like structure, and Hiccup was reminded of the time they went to search for the treasure of Hamich the Second.

This area reminded him of the final test.

"Wow," Hiccup breathed, clamping a hand over his mouth once he realized just how badly his voice echoed. He glanced about the cave, his eyes scanning for any sign of the dragon he had seen enter it.

After about ten seconds, Hiccup turned back to face Toothless. "I don't see anything," he said. Suddenly, almost if on cue, a large creature appeared behind the Night Fury. Hiccup turned, and gasped.

"Toothless, look out!" he shouted. Toothless turned around, just as the dragon tackled him.

…

Astrid tried to get up and get herself some water numerous times, each time ending with her crawling back to her bed from her headache and newly discovered nausea. Her mother and father were both constantly fussing over her, asking her if she was alright, asking her what they could get for her, asking if she felt worse, better, asking if she needed something…

It got to the point where all Astrid heard were questions. Of course, she understood her parents being worried about her, but in her mind, they were panicking a little bit too much. It wasn't like Hiccup was never going to return. He was going to find the cure, and get back before Astrid even knew it. It was going to be fine.

However, when she tried to tell that to her parents, she always ended up breaking down in a coughing fit. She felt so weak and helpless, and she absolutely positively hated it. It didn't help that her mother and father kept constantly rushing to and fro, trying to find something to help their daughter.

They were muttering to each other under their breath, and Astrid couldn't hear what they were saying.

She yawned, and shut her eyes for just a moment.

When she opened her eyes again, it occurred to her that she must have passed out (again), because now, her parents were sleeping, the candle was blown out, and the room was dark. She sat up, wincing as it only made her headache burst with new pain. She had to bite her tongue to keep from crying out.

She didn't necessarily want to get up at that moment, but she really didn't want to stay in bed, either. She was sick of being sick, and tired of being bedridden. She wanted to be on Stormfly's back, helping Hiccup find the cure.

 _Hiccup._

There we so many things about him that she already missed; his confidence, his smile, his more or less stupid ideas, the idiotic plans he always came up with at the last second that always got them out of whatever problem they were in...she missed everything that made Hiccup Hiccup. Even his sarcasm, if that were possible.

She stood up, wobbling on unsteady feet. She pulled her blanket around her shoulders, and slowly made her way towards her front door. It was dark, but she still knew her way around her house. She had to lean against the wall for support a few times, yet refused to go back to bed.

She found her door, fumbled for the handle, and then swung it open slowly, to make sure it didn't creak. Then, she slipped through, and closed it behind her. As soon as the door was shut, she sank to the ground and leaned up against it.

Her mind wandered back to that day, nearly four years ago, when she got Eel Pox. She remembered that day suddenly as if it had happened just yesterday.

She had been waiting for Hiccup on Stormfly, ready to go and look for him if that's what it came to. Hiccup had gone missing after going to Eel Island, and Fishlegs had gone to look for him, but unfortunately, neither of them returned, and Astrid was beginning to worry.

" _You_ should be indoors, young lady!" Hiccup had scolded; it was the first thing he said to her when he got back with Fishlegs. "You'll get your death of a cold in this weather!"

"Hiccup!" she had shouted back. "You're okay!"

As Astrid sat on the porch to her house, the memory kept flashing through her mind. She had waited for him then.

"Well, Dragon Boy," she whispered, "I'm waiting for you again."


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello everyone! Chapter 11! :D Please tell me what you guys think about the story. Of course, you don't have to, but it would make me feel better. :D Enjoy chapter 11! :D**

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When Astrid opened her eyes again, she realized that she had fallen asleep. Her surroundings hadn't changed much; instead of it being pitch black, it was now nearing dawn, the first streaks of sunlight stretching over Berk.

Hiccup wasn't back yet.

Where was he?

Astrid was almost _positive_ he wouldn't be gone overnight, but now, he was. She was more worried than ever now, as she stood up and leaned back against her doorframe when dizziness took over.

For a few moments, she thought that maybe he had gotten back while she was sleeping. Maybe he was working on something of a cure right now?

As Astrid looked around, she found that no one was in sight. On any normal day, people would be bustling here and there, starting out their mornings with a bang. Astrid felt her heart sink at the emptiness and quietness of the plaza.

Hiccup really _hadn't_ returned.

Disappointment was all she felt. Other than that, she was worried. Maybe he _had_ crash landed somewhere. Maybe he _had_ been captured by Outcasts. Or worse...maybe he was hurt somewhere, with no way of getting back…

The thought made her feel sick. The thought of Hiccup, alone besides Toothless, dying without anyone even knowing where he was…

She shook her head, and then took notice of the pounding. Headaches were something she was used to at that point. It came as no surprise. It was more of a nuisance now than anything else.

The first time she got a headache, she was thinking, _Oh no, this is it, I'm going to die...goodbye world...oh this is terrible_ but now, when she had a headache, it was more of an _Oh, look at that, another headache. Good grief. Do these things ever take a break?_

She looked around the village one last time before turning around, opening her door silently and creeping back into her house with stealth. She didn't want her mother and father to know she had been out, because she knew they would absolutely lose their _marbles_. And she would, too, when they started playing their ever so frequent (so frequent it was almost _constant)_ game of twenty questions.

" _Where have you been!?"_

" _What were you thinking!?"_

" _Are you alright!?"_

" _Do you need something!?"_

All in all, Astrid was tired of people worrying about her. She was going to be nineteen in just a few months. Plus, she was independant. She didn't like relying on other people to help her, especially when she was sick.

She flopped back into her bed wordlessly, about a million thoughts running through her mind.

...

"Toothless, look out!" Hiccup shouted, but it was too late. The waiting dragon had already attacked the Night Fury. Hiccup ducked and spun around, watching helplessly as the two dragons wrestled.

Unfortunately for the attacker, Toothless had the higher ground. After a few moments of tumbling, Toothless had it pinned beneath him.

Hiccup raced forward, and Toothless growled in warning. Hiccup skidded to a stop, just a few feet away from his dragon, and the other one. He knew he was already infected by the virus, but he didn't know if getting too close to it would speed up the symptoms.

However, he was also worried that coming in full-blown contact with the Stormbringer would poison Toothless.

After another moment of staring the dragon straight in the eyes, Toothless backed off, stepping backwards to stand beside Hiccup. Hiccup wished he had brought Inferno with him. He knew he wouldn't use his sword against the dragon, but at least it would have made him feel at least a _little bit_ protected.

The Stormbringer got to its feet and roared. All in all, it was an amazing looking dragon. It was solid, blood-red with stripes, and an overbite that showed off two large, curved fangs.

"Oh, well, that's impressive," Hiccup said, mostly to himself. "You know, if you weren't trying to kill us, maybe it would be even more…"

He cut himself off by springing to the side as the dragon lunged. Toothless did the same, standing behind Hiccup protectively.

"It's trying to kill us," Hiccup said in disbelief. He jumped out of the way once again as the dragon slashed at him. "Why are you trying to kill us?" Hiccup asked honestly.

The dragon merely roared.

"Yeah, don't know what that means!" Hiccup called. "You sound _angry!_ "

Toothless shot him a warning glance. "What?" Hiccup asked. Toothless growled, and then refocused his attention on their attacker.

"We have to get the venom," Hiccup said, suddenly remembering the entire reason this mission was even underway. "You ready?"

Toothless growled.

"Me neither," Hiccup said. "We need a distraction. Any ideas?"

Toothless, in response, jumped towards the Stormbringer.

"That's...stupid, but it works!" Hiccup said. "Try to see if you can't pin him down! I need about two minutes to get the venom." As his mind raced for an idea, he mentally counted in his head.

 _Three...two...one…_

The Stormbringer yanked himself away from Toothless, and Hiccup ran up to his dragon, digging in the saddlebag, pulling out a rope.

"This is gonna be stupid," he murmured under his breath. "So stupid that it just might work."

The Stormbringer roared, and then sprang back towards Toothless. Toothless pounced, slamming into the dragon and coming down on top of him. The Stormbringer roared in fury, struggling to get the other dragon off his back, but Toothless was stronger than he was, and had the advantage in strength and size.

"Okay, here we go," Hiccup said. He tied a loop knot at the end of one of the ropes, and then threw it, successfully wrapping it around the Stormbringer's neck.

It was at that moment, when the Stormbringer turned to him with a smug grin on his face (if it were possible for a dragon to look smug), that Hiccup realized what he had just done.

 _HICCUP HADDOCK, YOU NUTCASE!_ he mentally screamed at himself.

"Oh, crud," Hiccup mumbled under his breath. The dragon pushed Toothless off his back, and launched himself into the air.


	12. Chapter 12

**Dooot deee doooo...chapter 12! Haha! :D Hope you enjoy it as much as you've all seemed to enjoyed the previous chapters. :)**

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"OH...UGH...TOOOOOTTTTHHHHLLLLLEEEESSS!" Hiccup shouted as the Stormbringer yanked him into the air. His hands slipped after a few moments, and he fell, Toothless catching him pronely afterwards.

Hiccup looked at his hands. "Stupid rope burn," he muttered. The Stormbringer reared back around, an ear-piercing roar emanating from its throat.

"Oh, well that's productive," Hiccup said. "Toothless…" Hiccup spun around, just to see Toothless swaying on his feet, his eyes unfocused. "Toothless!" Hiccup shouted. "What's…" He didn't even have to ask what was wrong before he had it figured out. "Oh, so dragons _can_ get infected," he mused out loud. "They just need to come in direct contact with…"

The Stormbringer's roar cut him off. The dragon soared and landed directly in front of them. Its claws scraped the ground.

"Okay, new plan," Hiccup said. "We need a new plan. Toothless, buddy, do you think you can try and distract this thing for just a few more minutes?"

Toothless, dazed as he was, managed to nod in confirmation. Then, Hiccup turned, and nodded in the direction of the dragon. Toothless crouched low to the ground, and pounced. The Stormbringer shrieked with a throat shredding roar, but Toothless didn't care back down. He tackled the poisonous dragon, snarling with anger, pinning it beneath his body.

"That's it, Toothless!" Hiccup encouraged, running forward, the bowl in hand. He shoved it beneath the Stormbringer's long fangs, and caught some of the venom dripping off it.

It took nearly ten minutes which involved Hiccup running back and forth like a madman as he filled an entire jar of the venom. Then, certain he had got enough, he turned back to Toothless.

He didn't look like he was going to be able to hold out for much longer.

"Okay, Toothless, we did it!" Hiccup shouted triumphantly. "Let's hope this works." Toothless bounded off the Stormbringer without a second thought, but Hiccup could see that the dragon was dizzying at an alarming rate.

"Hang on, bud," Hiccup said as he put the jar of precious contents into Toothless' saddlebag. "We just have to get back to Berk, and then - AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" He screamed in pain, cutting himself off as the Stormbringer sank its teeth into Hiccup's forearm. It had gotten up after Toothless, keeping itself silent long enough to attack.

Toothless roared in fury, firing a single plasma blast at the dragon. It hit its chest, sending it flying backwards until it hit the wall of the cave. It laid on the ground, lifeless and breathless.

Hiccup stared at it in shock, but got over it quickly when his arm pulsed with pain. Blood dripped from the limb and pooled on the ground beside him. Hiccup felt his breath quicken. If there was one thing he couldn't handle, it was the sight of blood.

It wasn't just that, though. The Stormbringer had _bit_ him. He felt its venom running through his veins, making him feel sick and dizzy. His headache was back, worse than it had been the first time. After a few moments, he dropped to the ground, emptying his stomach contents while gripping his bleeding arm.

Toothless nudged him worriedly as his heaving fit came to an end. Hiccup looked at the dragon. They didn't have much time left, and it was obvious to the both of them. Shaking and shivering, Hiccup managed to get to his feet and pull himself onto Toothless' back sluggishly. He pushed his prosthetic into the foot pedal, and with that, Toothless was airborne.

Hiccup slumped against his dragon's neck and panted. After tearing off the hem of his shirt, he pressed the fabric to his wound. He hissed through his teeth and then bit his tongue to keep himself from screaming.

"You can do it, Toothless," Hiccup encouraged weakly as he shut his eyes and rested his head against Toothless' neck. "You can...doit…" His words slurred, and he closed his eyes for just a moment.

When he opened them again, Toothless was roaring. They were spinning out of control, towards the ocean.

That gave Hiccup a bit of a wake-up call. He slammed his metal leg back into the pedal, and Toothless shot back into the sky. He was getting weaker; both of them were, second by second.

"Come on, bud," Hiccup said, "just hang on...hang on just a little longer...hold...on…" He didn't know who he was talking to more; him or Toothless. When Berk finally reached the horizon, he could have cried with relief. Tears of pain were already streaming down his face.

"Home…" he breathed. His eyes were half-lidded and glazed over. His eyelids were fluttering alarmingly. "We're...Toothless...you did it...bud…"

An instant later, as Toothless landed in the plaza, the shouts and cries of villagers met their ears. The one that stood out the most was a voice Hiccup knew all too well.

"HICCUP!"

Yep, that was his father, no doubt about it. Hiccup dismounted Toothless shakily, wrapping his arm around his dragon's neck to keep himself standing. As Stoick ran towards his injured son, Hiccup pulled the bottle of venom out of his dragon's saddlebag.

"Cure…" he mumbled.

"Hiccup," Stoick said, grabbing Hiccup before he collapsed. Hiccup shook his head.

"Get...healers…" Hiccup said weakly, swaying uneasily, even in his father's protective grasp. "Cure...infected... _please_ …"

"Alright, alright, son," Stoick said. Hiccup was barely aware of a healer taking the jar from him, and then running off to get more healers to help Hiccup. "Come on, let's get you inside."

"Toothl...lesssss…" Hiccup slurred.

"Yes, Toothless is coming too," Stoick said. Hiccup could hear the hidden panic in his voice. He was probably wondering what had happened, but Hiccup didn't have the strength to tell him, try as he might have. "Don't worry, son. Come on, Hiccup."

"Dad," Hiccup moaned, just before going limp. Stoick caught him underneath Hiccup's arms, the boy's back supported against Stoick's chest.

"Hiccup," the father said, shaking his son gently, hoping to garner a reaction. Hiccup remained limp, unconscious, and unresponsive. "HICCUP!"


	13. Chapter 13

**HEY HEY HEY THERE ARE A LOT OF STOICK/HICCUP FATHER/SON FEELS IN THIS CHAPTER! YAY! :D**

 **As I like to say...**

 **The FEELSIES are REALSIES! XD.**

 **So, enjoy chapter 13! As you can see, it's a bit longer this time...like, 1,500 some words, which is cool, I think. :) So, hope you all enjoy this! :D**

* * *

When Hiccup still didn't reply, Stoick panicked. He had already been panicking for days while Hiccup was away getting the cure, but now having Hiccup just pass out in his arms was almost too much for him to take.

He hefted Hiccup into his arms, not unlike he had done after the battle with the Red Death. He ignored the shouts and cries of the other villagers. His main focus was Hiccup and Hiccup only. Nothing else mattered. It would have taken more then Alvin, Dagur, and the entire population of Dragon Island worth of wild dragons to keep him away from his son.

"Look at his arm!" one of the villagers shouted.

"Are those tooth marks!?" another one cried. "Did something bite him!?"

"Oh Thor, he's so pale!" one shouted.

"He's shaking!" another one joined in.

"Is he dead!?" one of them yelped.

Stoick didn't have time for their questions. He turned around and found himself coming face to face with Gobber.

"Stoick!" the blacksmith shouted. "What happened to 'im!?"

"I don't know yet, Gobber!" Stoick yelled back over the villagers' voices. "Just please keep the village under control. I need to get Hiccup to a healer."

Gobber took one last look at his apprentice before nodding, approaching the villagers while Stoick raced Hiccup to his house. He planned to get Hiccup safe, and then go find a healer. When he looked behind him, he saw that there was already a healer following him.

 _Good,_ he thought. _Makes it all the easier then._

Toothless was also bounding after them, struggling to keep up, swaying on unsteady feet. _Was he infected too?_ Stoick wondered. _Is the disease for dragons, too?_

He didn't have time to think about it. When he looked in front of him again, he found himself standing in front of his house.

He pushed the door open and headed inside.

He thought about taking Hiccup up to the loft, because he knew that he would be most comfortable if he were in his own bed, but then at the same time, Stoick knew it would be easier to keep an eye on Hiccup if they moved his bed. They had done it before, after the battle against the Red Death, and doing it again wouldn't be half as hard.

The healer and Toothless came in the door behind him, although Stoick dismissed it. He laid Hiccup across on the most comfortable of their chairs, his legs dangling over the armrest while his head rested on the other one. He was still out, but he was shivering and moaning. Stoick brushed Hiccup's bangs out of his face and smoothed his unkempt hair. His forehead was burning with fever.

Stoick hated seeing Hiccup in such a state. He draped a blanket over his son, beckoned Toothless to follow him, and then headed to the loft while the healer began her examination on Hiccup.

Between Toothless pushing and Stoick pulling (although Toothless was still swaying and dizzy), they managed to get Hiccup's bed to the lower level of the house. With that done, Stoick made his way over to the healer and his son while Toothless curled up on the floor next to the bed.

The healer had already wrapped Hiccup's arm, and it was in a sling around his shoulder now, but Hiccup still looked unbelievably pale, and even with the blanket covering him he was shivering, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.

Stoick bent down, taking Hiccup into his arms again and moving him to his bed. As soon as he laid Hiccup down again, he looked back up at the healer.

"Well?" he said. "What's wrong with my son?"

The healer wrung her hands together nervously. "There isn't much I can tell from the outside," she admitted, "but there are tooth marks. He was bitten by something, and if the fever is any indication, then whatever it was was poisonous."

Stoick already had an idea about what had injured Hiccup: the Stormbringer. The dragon Hiccup had told him that he needed to confront in order to get the cure for the others.

"He's suffered bloodloss, too," the healer continued. "He should be out of it for a little while..." She looked back at the boy on the bed. "If he does wake up soon," she said, "then he's bound to be in a lot of pain. Your best bet is to just let him rest."

Stoick nodded. "If he was bitten by the dragon that's caused all the other youths to get sick," he said, "then can we use the same cure to make Hiccup well?"

"Possibly," the healer said. "Most likely, actually. I'll run and get some...for him, too," she nodded at Toothless before heading outside without another word.

Stoick ran his hand over his eyes. When Hiccup's fever persisted, he stood up, grabbing a bucket, filling it with water, and then bringing it back. He found a cloth, soaked it in the water, and then laid it on Hiccup's forehead.

Hiccup groaned, finally cracking his eyes open long enough to stare at his father. Stoick met his eyes instantly. "Dad," Hiccup croaked.

"Hiccup," Stoick said, putting his hand over Hiccup's forehead calmingly. Hiccup's eyes were glassy, and Stoick could only imagine it was from the fever he sprouted. It wasn't a low fever. In fact, it was quite high. "Are you alright?"

Hiccup moaned pitifully in response. The noise nearly broke the father's heart. He smoothed Hiccup's hair off his forehead gently, hoping that the gesture was soothing.

It must have been, because moments later, Hiccup was unconscious once again, his breathing deepening although it still didn't sound the least bit healthy. Stoick pulled a chair over and sat next to the bed, watching Hiccup with his fatherly eyes.

The healer ran through the door nearly ten minutes later, two cups in her hands. One, she set in front of Toothless, and the other she handed to Stoick.

"We need to get him to swallow it," she said. "So far, it's only taken about a mouthful worth of it to cure the others, so don't give him too much if you can avoid it. Of course, too much won't hurt him, but...we want to save all we can."

Stoick nodded, sliding his hand beneath Hiccup's head while bringing the cup to his mouth with the other hand. Hiccup coughed and choked, but eventually swallowed the mandatory mouthful.

Almost instantly, Hiccup bolted into a sitting position, his one good arm wrapped around his stomach. "Dad," he whispered before stopping abruptly. It didn't take a genius to realize what was going to happen next. Stoick stood up, returning with a bucket which he held under Hiccup's chin. After a few moments, the medicine was no longer in Hiccup's stomach, and he was left gasping for breath, still half-conscious. Stoick set the bucket aside and got Hiccup to lay down again, noting how high his fever had risen.

"I was afraid of that," the healer admitted, looking down at the floor when Stoick glanced up at her briefly before returning his attention back to Hiccup. "If the venomous dragon bit him," the healer went on, "then chances are its bite weakened his body. If he can't hold the medicine down, then...his body isn't going to heal on his own."

"We can keep trying, then," Stoick said, grabbing Hiccup's hand when he groaned in pain. He couldn't bear to see Hiccup in such agony. He just wanted his son to be well. That was all he wanted at the moment.

The healer was already shaking her head. "I don't know if we can, Stoick," she said. "There's too much venom in his body. We _can_ keep trying, I know, but it's really more of a matter of _should_ we keep trying."

She put her hands behind her back, trying to keep emotion out of her face. "I'm sorry," she said. "I wish there was more I could do." Without another word, she turned and left, leaving Stoick with his sick son.

Toothless cooed at them, perking up, no longer dizzy, the cure in his system. He tilted his head and nudged Hiccup's side sadly, looking to Stoick for an answer. Stoick put his head atop Toothless' head and let it linger there.

"He'll be alright, Toothless," Stoick said. He looked back at his shivering, pale, feverish, unconscious son. "He has to be."


	14. Chapter 14

**HICCSTRID IN THIS AND FUTURE CHAPTERS! :D I LOVE HICCSTRID! :D Enjoy chapter 14!**

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Astrid dreamed about Hiccup.

When she woke up, she didn't remember any of it, as it was the case with some dreams, but she knew that, whatever it was, it hadn't been especially pleasant. She didn't remember what she had dreamed about, yet still, she remembered that it gave her the creeps.

She felt someone forcing something down her throat, and instantly, she protested, kicking her feet and flailing her arms. It was her instinct. For all she knew, these people could have been attacking her. Then, someone pinned her arms and legs down, and she was overcome by darkness.

When she opened her eyes again, she was greeted by her mother and her father, who were both looking down at her with concern.

"Mom?" Astrid asked, squinting at the figures hovering over her. "Dad?"

"Astrid," they breathed in unison, hugging their daughter.

"Oh, thank goodness you're alright," her mother said. Astrid could hear the tears behind her voice. The woman pulled away. "You're alright," she repeated, almost as if she couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Astrid said. She was fine, indeed. She didn't have a headache, no trace of a fever, or any other things having to do with her illness. "Hiccup got back then, with the cure?" she asked hopefully.

"That's right, Astrid," Astrid's mother said. There was something behind the woman's eyes for a moment, but it left as soon as it came.

Astrid breathed a sigh of relief. "So he's back," she said, smiling. "Where is he?" she asked hopefully, sitting up in the bed.

Suddenly, whatever emotion was hidden behind her parents' eyes showed, and Astrid's smile faded.

"Mom…" she said in a grave tone of voice, "where's Hiccup?"

Her mother kept her head bowed. Astrid's father turned to his daughter, a solemn expression on his face.

"Hiccup came back wounded," he explained.

"But _where is he!?"_ Astrid demanded.

"He's at his house, I believe," her mother said slowly. "But Astrid, please don't-"

It wasn't any use. Astrid was on her feet (albeit a bit shaky) and out the door, breaking out into a sprint. There was something they weren't telling her, and if they weren't going to do it, then she was going to find out for herself.

One way or another.

"Astrid!" she heard her parents yell from behind her, but she didn't slow down. She didn't even _think_ about slowing down. She ran straight up to the Chief's house, and barged into the abode without even knocking.

Hiccup's bed had obviously been moved downstairs, because that's where the boy was laying. Stoick was sitting on a stool parked by the bed, holding Hiccup's hand while dabbing his son's forehead.

Hiccup was groaning and tossing his head just slightly, although he appeared to be unconscious. He was so pale he could have been dead. The arm Stoick wasn't holding on to was wrapped securely in gauze and in a sling wrapped around Hiccup's shoulder.

"Stoick," Astrid said, trying to find a way to show the Chief that she was there without using too many words. Stoick glanced up at her for just a moment before his eyes moved back to his son. Astrid followed his gaze. " _Hiccup_."

She crossed the room, sitting down on the side of the bed and putting her hand on Hiccup's forehead. He was burning up, his bangs matted with sweat and plastered to his pale skin. Hiccup leaned unconsciously into her touch, and she swept his bangs off his hot head.

He gasped as if he were confused, but Astrid's hand against his cheek shushed him. When he whimpered, Astrid whispered softly to him.

"Shh," she soothed, tracing some of his freckles with her thumb. "Easy there, Dragon Boy." Hiccup didn't calm down, though. He looked as if he were immense pain, along with the fact he was trying to open his eyes. "No, don't," Astrid said, scooting closer to him and smiling softly. "You've done enough, Hiccup. You deserve to rest now."

It took a few moments, but in the end, Hiccup's breathing deepened, and he slept soundly. Stoick watched Astrid and Hiccup's exchange before looking back at the girl.

"What happened to him?" Astrid asked. Now that Hiccup was sleeping deeply once again, her tone had gone from soft to demanding in a matter of seconds.

"He hasn't been conscious enough for anyone to find out, Astrid," Stoick said. "He was suffering from blood loss...passed out as soon as he got back."

Astrid stared down at Hiccup sadly. Something bumped her from behind, and she turned around to find Toothless looking at her. She patted the dragon's head.

"He was infected, too," Stoick said, nodding in Toothless' direction. "The venom Hiccup got went a long way. We've cured all the infected, and have more left over."

"That's good, I guess," Astrid said. "But what about Hiccup?"

Stoick shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted. "From what the healer told me, Hiccup was bitten. Clear teeth marks, straight through his arm. If it was the dragon he spoke of while asking me for leave to go, then there is still venom in his veins."

"But the cure," Astrid said. "We have the cure. We can fix it." When Stoick didn't reply, Astrid felt her heart drop. "Stoick?" she asked hesitantly. "We _can_ fix it...can't we?"

Stoick looked at her for a moment, before shaking his head once again. "His body isn't strong enough," he said, his voice lowering. "He doesn't have the strength to fight off the poison, and the cure...it won't do anything if Hiccup's body rejects it. He's been rejecting it ever since we started. He just can't keep it down."

Astrid sighed, running her hand over Hiccup's forehead. "Poor thing," she said regretfully.

Stoick nodded, just before rising to a stand. He laid Hiccup's arm back down on the bed beside the boy, and then made for the door.

"I need to go get a healer," he said. "Would you mind-"

"Not at all," Astrid interrupted. "Yeah, I'll stay with him." _You couldn't keep me away,_ she added silently.

Stoick nodded. "You're a great friend to him, Astrid," he said. "Thank you."

Astrid forced her blush away. "Any time," she said.


	15. Chapter 15

**Am I keeping you in suspense? *rubs hands together* Will Hiccup live or will Hiccup die, ladies and gentlemen? *loud speaker voice* YOU WILL FIND OUT SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON. XD**

 **I started watching "Attack on Titan"...THREE MORE EPISODES TO GO AND I AM DONE WITH SEASON 1! NO ONE SPOIL ANYTHING IF ANY OF YOU HAVE WATCHED THE SHOW! AFTER THE THREE MORE EPISODES, I HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR FOR SEASON 2! AAAAAHHHHHHH!  
*screaming*  
*family screaming*  
*Attak on Titan fans screaming*  
*Tanya screaming*  
Person: Who's Tanya?  
Me: I don't know, but she's pretty upset.**

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Astrid stayed beside Hiccup, her fingers playing with his hair. He started moaning in pain shortly after Stoick left to get a healer, and Astrid hadn't known what else to do. She learned while he was unconscious after the fight against the Red Death that he calms down when someone runs their fingers through his hair. She didn't know why, but she knew that he did, and that was the important thing.

After a few moments of looking sadly at him, Hiccup's eyes opened. He gazed up at Astrid in somewhat confusion.

"Hey you, Dragon Boy," Astrid said.

"Hey you, too, milady," Hiccup responded. His breath was labored and heavy. He closed his eyes against the pounding in his head. "What _happened_?"

"I think the Stormbringer bit you," Astrid said. She pulled her hand back after a few moments. "How do you feel?"

"Like a dragon forced to eat eel," Hiccup mumbled, draping his arm over his eyes. "But yeah, other than that, fine." He glanced up at her. "You've seen worse, haven't you?"

"Yeah, on a deadman," Astrid said, then stopped. _Stupid, stupid thing to say_.

"Oh, thanks, Astrid," Hiccup said. "Ithought it was bad." A moment later, his breath quickened. He moaned in pain, squeezing his eyes shut and grappling the side of his bed in a death grip.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked. She wasn't going to say anything else; asking if he were alright would have been completely and entirely stupid, and she wasn't going to say something foolish again. Instead, she took his hand in hers casually, giving him something to hold on to. He squeezed her hand so hard, she thought he was going to break her fingers.

"Hey, hey, Hiccup," she said, running her thumb over his bony knuckles, "it's alright, it's alright. Easy...easy."

"You were...partially right," Hiccup said, gasping between every few words. "You about...deadman...yeah…"

Astrid shook her head. "I didn't mean it," she said.

"You might have well meant it," Hiccup replied weakly. "You were _right_ , after all."

"Being right isn't the only thing that matters," Astrid said.

"Maybe…" Hiccup muttered, closing his eyes against the pounding in his skull. "I just don't…" His eyes flew open. "The cure," he said. "Did it work?"

"Yeah, yeah, it worked," Astrid said.

"On everyone?" Hiccup said. "Toothless included?"

The Night Fury bumped Hiccup's side, and Hiccup smiled. "Okay," he said. "You're okay." He sighed and laid back. "Just so long as it all worked...and everything…That's the important thing, right?"

"I guess...yes," Astrid said. "It is. You did good, Hiccup."

Hiccup smiled. "Well, thanks," he said. His smile faded quickly, and he groaned again, squeezing Astrid's hand.

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted. Her mind raced; what to do? She hadn't the slightest idea. "What hurts?" she asked desperately.

"Ev...everything…" Hiccup responded. "...Astrid…"

"I'm not going anywhere," she promised, putting her other hand on his forehead. He leaned into her touch. "You can't get rid of me even if you tried."

"Ain't gonna," Hiccup said. Astrid then took notice of a cup sitting on the table. She reached over, plucking it up and examining its contents.

"This is the cure?" she asked.

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, but it can't help me," he said. "Healer said there's just too much poison and not enough time."

"Not enough time…" Astrid started, and then froze before she could ask Hiccup what he meant. She _knew_ what he meant, but she refused to believe it. "Who told you you were going to die?"

"Figured it out on my own, I guess," Hiccup said. "No, Astrid, the healer told me. Of course she told me. Not directly...she was talking to my Dad...she didn't exactly know I was conscious…"

"She's wrong, Hiccup," Astrid said. "You're not going to die."

"I wish I could believe that," Hiccup said. "You know, it's a strange feeling...dying. You're just...there one moment, and the next thing you know it..."

"Stop," Astrid said. "Stop it stop it stop it stop it stop it. You're gonna be fine. Here." She held the cup to his lips, but he didn't move. "Hiccup, just try to drink it."

"I can't," Hiccup said. "It's a waste...I can't...I can't hold it down…"

"Try," Astrid pressed. Hiccup moved his head away from the cup. Astrid looked at him, feeling helpless. "Please, Hiccup," she begged. "Please. You don't even have to drink it all. Just a few sips."

Maybe it was the desperate tone of her voice, but either way, Hiccup sighed and then nodded. Astrid helped him lift his head to drink, and although it took a few minutes, Hiccup managed to swallow some of it.

Almost instantly, he leaned over the bed and vomited into a bucket already by the bedside. Astrid stood up, moving to sit beside him, her hand rubbing his back soothingly. So he wasn't kidding about what he said. He couldn't keep it down for even a few minutes. What made her think he was exaggerating?

Hiccup choked and gagged, bringing up more before stopping abruptly. It left him gasping for breath, coughing.

"Sorry...Ast…" he got out before Astrid silenced him by pulling him to rest against her chest.

"It's not your fault," she said. "Don't blame yourself. Don't do that."

Hiccup sighed. He felt terrible; too hot yet too cold at the same time. His stomach still churned, and his headache still persisted with vigor as if there were no end to it whatsoever. Astrid rested her chin on the top of his head, wrapping her arms around his body in a way of silent reassurance.

"Astrid…?" Hiccup said, pausing for a moment.

Astrid looked down at him, tightening her grip. "Yes, Hiccup?" she responded.

Hiccup swallowed. "I don't…" His breath hitched. "I don't want to die. I don't want to die...I don't want to...d-d..."

He dissolved into sobs, closing his eyes in an attempt to keep his tears masked behind his lids.

"I know, I know," Astrid said, rocking him and herself back and forth. Her heart was breaking, seeing him in so much pain and watching him break down in her arms. She could feel each and every one of his shaky breaths. She felt each of his body's shudders, and almost cried along with him, holding back her tears only for his sake. "You won't die, Hiccup."

"P-promise…?" Hiccup choked.

Astrid paused. How could she promise such a thing? Then again, how could she _not_ promise such a thing?

"I promise," Astrid said. "I promise, Hiccup."


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello. So, hi. So...so...**

 **Hi. Sorry, such a loss of words right now...um...**

 **Enjoy chapter 16! I don't have anything else to say. Oh, and thank you all who review, read, fav, follow, or WHATEVER ELSE ANY OF YOU AWESOME PEOPLE DO. :D Enjoy chapter 16! :D**

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Toothless wrapped his wings around Astrid and his rider, growling worriedly at the both of them. Astrid would never be amazed at the intelligence of the Night Fury, and she would also never be able to fully believe that at one point, dragons were the enemies, whom they always fought to kill and run off.

Hiccup quieted, but didn't stop crying, nor did he fall asleep, despite how many times Astrid tried to get him to rest. He tried falling asleep, but it was hard with the burning feeling of the poison rushing through his body mixed with his somersaulting stomach and terrible, pounding headache.

He moaned hoarsely, feeling pathetic. Normally, he would be better at hiding his pain, and his fear, especially from Astrid, but now, sagging limply against her with her arms wrapped around his body, when no one else was watching and Astrid didn't care whether he was weak or strong, he let himself cry, feeling safe under Astrid's care, despite his mounting pain. He whimpered again.

"Shh," Astrid said. "I know, I know it hurts. It's okay."

Hiccup knew what it was to feel pain. He lost his leg when he was merely fifteen, and took a lightning bolt to the head not too much later. However, none of that could have compared to the amount of pain he found himself in at this moment. Astrid was helping abate some of his agony just by being there and holding him, but it only did so much.

"Would you like me to get you some water?" Astrid asked. When she spoke now, she was whispering, and Hiccup was partially thankful for that. Any noise too loud worsened his headache.

Water? He thought about it for a moment. His throat felt dry, and he knew water would relieve that much, but that would mean Astrid had to get up, and he really didn't want her to do that. The only feeling of comfort he had at that time was Astrid. Besides, with how his stomach was feeling, holding down even water wasn't going to work. Maybe later.

Hiccup shook his head in the end, and Astrid didn't push him, which made him momentarily relieved. However, it was short-lived when another wave of pain crashed over him like a wave. He swallowed back a scream, grabbing Astrid's arm in a death grip.

Astrid wasn't sure of what to do. When was Stoick going to get back with that healer? They sure seemed to be taking their time...that, or it just felt like time was passing slowly, every second almost like hours, every one seemingly longer than the last. She wiped Hiccup's tears off his cheeks with her thumb, but that was it. All she could do was comfort him. She couldn't take his pain away for him, no matter how badly she wanted to.

"Astr...id…" Hiccup mumbled.

"Yeah?" Astrid asked.

"You don...you don't have to...stay…" Hiccup said. "If...if you don't want to."

Astrid shook her head. "No, no, Hiccup," she said quickly. "I'm staying right here. I'm not going anywhere." She heard Hiccup sigh with relief, followed by him sagging even more against her.

"...Sure…?" he asked.

"Positive," Astrid replied, nodding.

As if on cue, Stoick ran through the doorway, the healer and her assistant hot on his heels. Stoick looked panicked, Gothi looked solemn (then again, she always did), and Gothi's assistant looked worried. All three of them approached the bedside almost in unison. Stoick sat down beside Astrid (who was still holding Hiccup in a protective embrace) while Gothi and her assistant took to examining Hiccup for what felt like the millionth time.

"Is he conscious?" the assistant asked. "Hiccup, can you hear me?"

"...Yeah," Hiccup croaked.

"He's coherent," the assistant said after a few moments. "Have you tried giving him the cure again?"

"I tried," Astrid said, rubbing Hiccup's back when he whimpered again. "He just threw it up."

"Is there something we can do?" Stoick asked; more like demanded. He normally tried to keep his cool, but when Hiccup's life was on the line, he always ended up losing it one way or another.

Gothi looked at them each, and then wrote something out with her staff. Stoick tried to read it, while Astrid noticed but didn't acknowledge it, her focus reset on Hiccup once again.

"She says," the assistant said, reading over what her mentor had written, "that she can give Hiccup a medicine that will keep him in an unconscious state while the cure works. We give him the cure mixed with the other medicine, and it'll keep him out for a few days."

"Okay, what's the problem then?" Stoick asked. "He's in pain and he's suffering. Why haven't we done this yet?"

"Stoick, I need you to think about this," the assistant healer said calmly. "Alright?"

"Alright," Stoick said. "Spit it out."

"Hiccup is very sick right now," she explained. "You know that...the entire village practically knows that. If he can't keep the cure in his system, then it isn't going to work, and if it doesn't work, then he's going to die. The thing about this medicine, Stoick...it...may or may not work."

"What do you mean?" Astrid snapped. "What do you mean it may or it may not work?"

"The medicine is designed to keep a person in a coma for a while," the healer said. "But sometimes...sometimes...the person doesn't always wake up, Stoick. Sometimes the medicine is just too strong. It really depends on the person, so there is no way of knowing either way."

"So what you're saying is," Stoick said, "that if you don't try, Hiccup dies, and if you _do_ try, he could be in a coma for the rest of his life."

The healer nodded. "That is correct, sir," she said. "We need to hurry. You can...I'm sure you need to think about it for a while."

Stoick nodded, putting his hand against his forehead.

"I will be back tomorrow for your answer," the healer said. "We don't have much time left."

With that, the healers left.

This was going to be a long night.


	17. Chapter 17

**Well...it's almost that time again...the time when I go on hiatus...**

 **Starting June 1, I will be on HIATUS. Except I am going to post a story titled "Don't You Dare Call Me 'Son'!" (see POLL on profile for more information) even if I go into June, but after that, I won't do anything until July. So...yeah.**

 **Hi. :) Enjoy chapter 17! :D**

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Astrid and Stoick sat across from each other. An hour after the healers left, Hiccup had finally fallen asleep, leaving Astrid and Stoick to talk in the recently developed silence of the house, broken only by the sounds of the fire crackling in the hearth. Stoick told Astrid that she was free to leave, but Astrid refused. She was certain she saw the relief behind Stoick's eyes, much like the relief she saw behind Hiccup's when she told him that she wasn't going to leave.

Astrid rested her arms on her legs, her hands folded loosely. She was certain that at that moment, if she had dropped a pin, the sound would have hurt her ears. Stoick sat across from her, staring down at the floor as if it were suddenly very interesting.

"What would you do?" he asked her so suddenly Astrid was momentarily frightened. The awkward silence had lasted so long, that having it broken suddenly was strange.

"Sir, I don't think it's my place to-" Astrid began, only to be cut off.

"I'm serious, Astrid," her Chief said, holding up a hand in a clear "keep silent" gesture. "If you were in my position, what would you do?"

Astrid paused. What _would_ she do? She tried putting herself in Stoick's shoes, but in the end, found that she couldn't. Sure, Hiccup was her best friend, and she would do anything to help him (although she would never tell him either one of those things out loud), but it paled in comparison to what Hiccup meant to Stoick. Stoick, who lost his wife shortly after Hiccup was born. Stoick, who watched his son - _only_ son, mind you - stare death right in the eye, the day he had battled the Red Death. Hiccup had lost a leg that day. Astrid couldn't help but wonder what he would lose this time.

"I would give him a chance," Astrid said at long last, turning back to Stoick. "Hiccup's stronger than he's given credit for. We can't just let him…" She couldn't say it. The one dreaded "D" word that she learned to hate. "You know," Astrid said, "without letting him at least try to fight it off."

"I understand that, Astrid," Stoick said, leaning forward, "but would letting him…" (there it was; the horrific "D" word again), "you know what, be easier for him then letting him risk never waking up again?"

Astrid, at first, was about to jump up from her seat and yell at Stoick for ever saying such a thing, but when she thought about what Stoick had said, she refrained. While Hiccup was in a coma after fighting the Red Death, he had suffered many things in a non-conscious state. Dreams, nightmares, scenes replaying in his mind that no one even wanted to look at once, not being able to wake up, ever, always living in a constant nightmare.

But then again…

"We don't know he will be comatosed for his _whole_ life, Stoick," she said after another moment. "The healer said it was a possibility, but nothing is set in stone. If we could..."

Stoick was shaking his head before she even finished getting her thought out. "You heard her tone of voice as well as I did," he said. "She didn't sound enthusiastic about the affair. She sounded as though she were dreading it."

"She could have been simply upset," Astrid said, trying to be reasonable while her mind was screaming for her to do something else. _What are you saying? Hiccup's going to die..._ "Everyone gets upset, and delivering the news to a father about the state of their only child would be hard for anyone to do."

Astrid winced. She _had_ to stress the "father" position Stoick had, and point towards Hiccup being Stoick's "only child" now, didn't she? She felt incredibly stupid. That was really the _wrong_ thing to say to a panicking parent. She might have well just said, "Lookie here! Your last surviving family member is dying, and hey, he's your only child, too! Don't forget that!"

She wanted to slap herself in the face, yet refrained from doing so.

"I know I'm probably asking a lot of you, Astrid," Stoick said, "but I really need to know what you would do in my situation. Honestly, Astrid, no lies. If you got to choose whether or not the healer gives Hiccup that medicine, would you or would you not?"

"I would…" Astrid had to think for a moment before giving him her reply. What _would_ she do? If she was Hiccup's parent, what would her first answer be? Would she let the healers give Hiccup the medicine, or would she leave Hiccup to die? "I don't really know what I would do, honestly," Astrid decided. "It's ultimately up to you…"

"I know it is," Stoick said, rubbing a hand over his eyes and sighing heavily. "Trust me, Astrid, I know, and I'm not trying to burden you. But you know Hiccup probably better than I do." As much as Astrid wanted to deny it, she knew it was true. "What do you think Hiccup would have us do?"

Now _that_ was a hard question; one Astrid didn't even know how to _think_ about. What _would_ Hiccup do? Suddenly, it didn't matter how well Astrid knew him, because she had _no idea_ what he would pick. Dying, or having a chance of being bound to a coma for the rest of his days.

She also thought about the good in the second decision; it might actually work. The cure could work, and if it did, then Hiccup would recover like he would with any other illness he ever got.

But what would he do? Would he say to try it? Would he tell them to just let him die? Would he tell them to make the decision for themselves? There were so many things Hiccup could decide.

"...I don't know," Astrid admitted, despite how badly she wished she could answer the Chief without sounding depressed. "I really don't know what Hiccup would want us to do in this situation."

Stoick nodded as if he had expected the answer; maybe he had. Maybe he was thinking the same things Astrid had been thinking. "I can ask him when he wakes up, if he's up to it," he said. "But if he's too incoherent, then I'm afraid we're just going to have to do what's is best."

Astrid nodded, but her thoughts betrayed her actions. _Too bad we don't know what's best,_ she said silently.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18, guys! :D So sorry I didn't update yesterday. Life has been like...eh... _life_. Busy...:) So, sorry. I'll try to finish this fanfiction today...this is like, the second to last chapter, so YAY! **

**...And I'm just going to warn you now: The ending is rather...well... _evil_. As you can see, this story isn't marked under "tragedy", but still... **

**You'll have to read the last chapter and discover it for yourself. ;) Enjoy chapter 18! :D**

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Astrid was strapping her dragon's saddle to Stormfly's back without reason. Normally, in early mornings such as this, she would be enjoying a flight with Hiccup before training began. Of course, now, with Hiccup as sick as he was, that wasn't exactly possible.

She had been reluctant to leave the Haddock residence, but Stoick insisted she get outside a little bit. In her mind, it was just Stoick needing to be alone while he made his decision, but she had made no comment, instead nodding reluctantly and leaving the abode.

"Hey, Astrid," Snotlout said as he approached her. She didn't even turn to look at him, her eyes focused on her saddle while her mind was focused on her dying friend. Snotlout looked uncomfortable by her silence, and he twiddled his fingers uneasily. "Did you see Hiccup?"

Astrid bit her tongue to keep from snapping at him. _Of course_ she saw Hiccup. What did Snotlout think she was doing the entire time she was at the Haddock abode? However, instead of speaking, Astrid simply nodded.

"Is he doing okay?" Snotlout asked. "They're not letting anyone else see him, really, and I haven't gotten word recently…"

Astrid paused, her fingers hovering over the saddle strap. Snotlout, being _thoughtful?_ Concerned? Finally thinking about someone other than himself? Of course, Astrid knew Snotlout cared about his cousin, but he rarely showed it. She shook her head.

"No," she said. "No, he's not doing better. If anything, he's worse."

Snotlout bit his lip. "Really?" he asked in disbelief. "From what I heard, it was already pretty bad."

"Snotlout," Astrid said, turning to face the boy, "I really don't want to talk about this right now, alright?" Snotlout nodded, although he looked upset. "Where are the others?" Astrid questioned.

"They're in Raven Point," Snotlout said. "They took some spray bottles full of some of the extra cure. From what I know, they're spraying it everywhere to get rid of whatever got us infected in the first place. Shouldn't take too much longer."

Astrid paused, thinking about what she should say next. "So, are they all alright?" she asked after a moment of silence. "The cure worked for them?"

Snotlout nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Hiccup did great. He was really brave." He froze, as if realizing what he just said. "Um...don't tell Hiccup I said that," he whispered, leaning closer to Astrid.

"I won't," Astrid said. "He knows he was brave already. No need to tell him what we think."

"I guess not," Snotlout said. "What are you doing now?"

"I don't know, I guess," Astrid said as she finished putting the saddle on her dragon's back. "I suppose I'll take Stormfly for a quick spin."

"Okay," Snotlout said. "Then I guess I'll see you later, or something…?"

"Yeah, okay," Astrid said. She jumped onto Stormfly's back, gave the dragon the "take off" signal, and then held on tight as Stormfly launched herself into the sky. Astrid felt the need to kill time; when Stoick got some time to himself, maybe she could go back and stay with Hiccup again. She really didn't want to be away from him longer than was necessary.

She flew on Stormfly's back for an hour straight. Astrid counted off the seconds and minutes in her head with surprising ease. It helped her keep her mind off the fact that Hiccup was dying. She remembered her sick days, when she was infected before Hiccup got back with the cure. All that time of short breath and headaches and nausea was just not something she wanted to go through ever again. It was even worse than Eel Pox.

But Hiccup was in far worse shape than he once was. His heavy breathing, how he gasped for breath just went to show her how sick he really was, to the point where he was struggling to breathe properly. The fever he sprouted was no walk in the sunshine, either. She thought momentarily about what she had said to Snotlout: _No, he's not doing better. If anything, he's worse._

She hadn't been lying, and maybe that was just the problem. Sometimes she wished it was all a dreaded nightmare, and she would wake up, and Hiccup would be fine, having come back with the cure with nothing wrong with him, a goofy, stupid smile on his face.

But no such luck. She _knew_ that it was no dream, and that it was instead reality, and there was no changing reality, despite how hard she tried, or how badly she wanted to try as well. She wished she could take Hiccup's pain away from him, but that was also impossible, and she knew that.

After a while of flying, she decided to head back to the Haddock residence and ask Stoick if he needed help taking care of Hiccup. She didn't think the Chief slept very well the previous night (heck, she didn't sleep _at all_ , so what made her think Stoick could?), so maybe she could watch Hiccup while Stoick got some sleep. She flew back to the village, landing Stormfly in front of the house.

Astrid dismounted, knocking on the door and stepping back. After a few moments, Stoick opened it for her.

"Astrid," he said. Astrid nodded. By the looks of it, he didn't sleep at all, either. "What are you doing back so early?"

"I wanted to see if you needed any help," Astrid said, fiddling with her skirt uneasily. "And...I would like to see Hiccup again, sir, if it's okay."

Stoick nodded. "It's fine, Astrid," he said, stepping aside to let her in. She did so, hesitating only momentarily. "He woke up a few minutes ago asking for you. I was going to go get you, but he fell asleep again before I even had the chance."

Astrid nodded in understanding, sitting down on the edge of the bed beside Hiccup. He was shivering in his sleep, sweat soaking his body, his skin deathly pale.

Despite everything, Astrid was happy to be there with him.


	19. Chapter 19

**This is the last chapter to the story, and it's a bit longer than usual, so...yeah, I hope you enjoy it. :) Enjoy! :D**

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Hiccup moaned, tossing his head, his eyelids fluttering. Astrid put her hands on his cheeks, cradling his face to keep him from moving too much.

"Sh, sh, sh," she said. Hiccup whimpered, although it looked like he was calming down. However, it also looked as though he were trying to wake up. "No, just sleep, Hiccup," Astrid said. "Just sleep. You need your strength." He needed all the energy he could get. Astrid was still holding onto the teeny tiny hope that he could recover on his own without the medicine. But by the looks of it, he was getting weaker, not stronger. He looked even paler (if possible) than he had looked the previous day, and his fever was definitely higher.

Astrid grabbed a rag out of a bucket of water, and then dabbed Hiccup's forehead with it, leaving traces of cool water on his brow. He relaxed visibly, his whimpering quieting.

"You're good to him, Astrid," Stoick said. Astrid looked at him. She had almost forgotten he was still there, watching her and his son. He sat down in a chair, dropping his head in his hands. "Thank you."

Astrid didn't know what else to say, so she merely nodded, returning her focus to Hiccup. "Well, he'd do the same for me," she said offhandedly.

Stoick nodded. "He thinks fondly of you, Astrid," he said.

"I think fondly of him, too," Astrid said in response. She looked from Hiccup to Stoick. "Has he eaten anything recently?" she asked.

Stoick shook his head. "The only thing he can keep down right now is water," he said, "and even then it's nothing more than a few swallows worth."

Astrid nodded in silent understanding. "Have you thought about the...well, I really don't need to tell you what," she said.

Stoick nodded. "I think Hiccup would want us to try," he said. "I'm going to get the healer and tell her my decision. Would you stay with Hiccup while I go? You don't have to-"

"Of course," Astrid interrupted. "Of course I'll stay with him."

"Thank you, Astrid," Stoick said. Before Astrid could respond, he was out the door, heading towards the healer's hut. Once he was gone, Astrid looked down at Hiccup again.

"We're trying to do the right thing," she whispered so she wouldn't wake him up. She massaged his hot forehead with her thumb. "You're strong, Hiccup. I know you can fight this. You just have to give it everything you've got."

Hiccup didn't respond in any other way besides sighing and leaning into her hand. She re-wet the cloth on his forehead and laid it back again, watching him with more concern than people knew she possessed.

Not too much longer later, Gothi, her assistant healer, and Stoick returned. Astrid looked at them each as they made their way over to the bedside, Gothi holding a small, black vial.

"Are you sure it will work?" Astrid asked. "How do you know?"

"We've tried it before," the healer said simply.

"What are his chances?" Astrid asked.

"Half of our patients leave healed," the healer said. "The other half remain comatose. We haven't done it on many people."

"I didn't ask you for the odds," Astrid snapped. "I asked you what his chances are."

"Likely," the healer said, taking the cup of cure off the table and opening the vial. She poured some of the liquid into it; it was black. Solid black. Blacker than a Night Fury, and actually, blacker than anything else Astrid had ever seen.

"Looks awful," Astrid commented. _Probably tastes worse than it looks,_ she added silently.

The healer nodded. Suddenly, Hiccup groaned, tossing his head, his eyes fluttering open. His chest heaved as he gasped for breath, almost as if he hadn't breathed in a long time.

"Hiccup!" Astrid and Stoick yelped in unison. They hadn't expected him to wake up, and they especially hadn't expected him to wake up so quickly. Hiccup looked up at Astrid.

"Hi…" he managed, just before moaning in pain again. This time, Astrid couldn't stop herself. She didn't care who was watching. She kissed Hiccup's forehead, and then pulled him to rest against her chest. The only person really who knew how much she truly, truly loved and cared about Hiccup was Stoick, and that was simply because he was Hiccup's father. The healers had never seen her openly display her love towards Hiccup (except after Hiccup woke up after the battle with the Red Death).

But Astrid didn't care. She didn't care what they thought. She didn't care whether or not they screamed it to the entire village. Hiccup was sick. Hiccup was hurt. Hiccup was _dying_ , and she was going to make sure that he knew that she was there, and that she was willing to take care of him.

"You're gonna be okay," Astrid promised him. "We're gonna give you some medicine, and then you'll be fine." Of course, Astrid wished that she knew this for a fact, but she wasn't about to tell Hiccup that there was no confirmation either way. Deciding that it would be easier to give Hiccup the medicine while he was conscious, she held her hand out to the healer expectantly. The healer looked at Gothi, who then nodded, and the healer handed Astrid the cup.

It felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds, despite the fact that it wasn't even _one_ pound. This liquid in the cup was going to decide Hiccup's fate. Was she ready to figure out what it was?

There wasn't time for her to dwell on her own thoughts. Hiccup needed the medicine _now_. She held the cup to Hiccup's mouth, and tipped it so that a little bit of its contents ran into Hiccup's mouth. Hiccup choked, coughing and spluttering, and for a moment, Astrid was worried he was going to throw up again, but eventually, he swallowed.

"How much more does he have to drink?" Astrid asked, turning to look at the healer.

Gothi wrote on the ground with her staff, and the other healer leaned over to read what her mentor had written.

"All of it," the healer said. "He has to drink it all."

"Okay," Astrid said, bringing the cup to Hiccup's lips again. Although Hiccup coughed and gagged, he swallowed it easier than he had the first time. Astrid cradled his head in the crook of her elbow, her hand stroking his cheek soothingly while her other hand held the cup. "Swallow, Hiccup," Astrid coaxed, her voice merely a whisper. "Swallow it."

Hiccup gulped down another mouthful, choking on it just slightly. It continued this way until the contents of the cup were downed, and Hiccup was left sagging and limp in Astrid's arms, looking ready to pass out at any given moment.

"That's it," Astrid said, setting the cup down. "That's it. You can sleep now, Hiccup. I'll be here when you wake up." _When you wake up._ She didn't say _if_ , she said _when_. She didn't know either way, but she wasn't going to let Hiccup know that.

Hiccup swallowed visibly, and then nodded. Astrid suddenly thought of something. If he wasn't going to wake up, then there was one last thing Astrid wanted to say to him.

"I...I love you, Hiccup," she said.

Hiccup looked up at her in surprise, but then, his eyelids fluttered, and the medicine took over. He fell into his coma, unconscious in Astrid's arms. Astrid held him close and kissed his temple. He looked about ready to say it back to her, but she didn't need him to speak it out loud. The gratitude in his eyes was enough for her.

 _I love you, Hiccup_ , she repeated silently. _And I'll be waiting for you to wake up and say it back._

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **And that's the end of the story. I know, a lot of you are probably thinking, "WHAT!? THAT CAN'T BE THE END!" but yes, it's over. There won't be another chapter. And no, I didn't get bored doing this story and decided to leave it in a terrible ending spot. No, actually, I planned on doing this since the beginning of the fanfiction.**

 **Right under your noses...mwahahahaha. I didn't want to kill Hiccup, but I didn't really want everything to end with an "all is well!" sort of thing, like I do in most my fanfictions. I decided to mix it up a little bit. Hiccup could live or Hiccup could die. I'm leaving it to you to decide for yourselves. :)**

 **Until next story!**

 **-BeyondTheClouds777**


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